Digital Commons Network^™

Atomic Oxygen Resistant Low Earth Orbit Stable Polymer Matrix Composites Employing Phenylphosphine Oxide Epoxy-Amines, Witold Fuchs

Dissertations

Atomic oxygen (AO) attacks polymer matrix composites (PMC’s) on the surfaces of spacecraft in low earth orbit (LEO) and threatens safe spacecraft operation and service life. Incorporating phenylphosphine oxide (PPO) groups into polymer chains offers a self-regenerating method of protection from AO but remains poorly understood. Herein, epoxies containing PPO groups were synthesized with increasing concentrations of phosphorus [P] from 0 to 8 wt % to investigate their AO resistance. Measurements confirmed the exposure of these materials to AO produces a passivation phosphate (POx) layer on the surface of the sample and the efficacy of the resultant layer was directly …

Water Elites’ Perceptions Of Water Security In The Middle East And North Africa Region, Ghaleb Akari

Dissertations

The Middle East and North African region continues to face significant water security challenges. The purpose of this dissertation is to gain a deeper understanding of water elites’ perceptions of water security in the MENA region. It is not meant to generalize the findings. Instead, the intention for the research is to identify, explain, and analyze by national elites' contrasting perceptions in Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Tunisia.

The study examines water elites’ perceptions in four areas: current knowledge level of water security, water resource management, water service delivery, and water-related risk mitigation. These elites’ perceptions of water security will help …

The Role Of Elevation As A Control On Salt Marsh-Upland Ecotones Along The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Carlton P. Anderson

Dissertations

Salt marshes are critical ecological gems that serve as habitat for many specialized species of flora and fauna, while providing a natural buffer to human populations from tropical cyclone impacts. However, rises growth of coastal populations has led to greater strain on the natural services these ecosystems provide. To better understand and project the future of coastal evolution, the physical, mechanical, and biological feedbacks between the natural and human coupled systems need to be more defined and thoroughly understood. Human encroachment towards naturally retreating shorelines will lead to coastal communities being more susceptible to nuisance tidal flooding and minor tropical …

Cognitive Aptitude As A Predictor Of Success In Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Nancy Brooks Leahy

Dissertations

Student success in nursing education is essential to supplement the healthcare workforce and sustain the delivery of safe and efficient nursing care. However, the loss of students who drop out or fail out of nursing programs is alarmingly high even though institutions have sought to identify the best candidates for admission to rigorous nursing curricula. While most nursing programs have used academic measures, such as grade point average or standardized testing to rank students for admission, these measures have not adequately captured the characteristics that students must possess to be successful. To further identify nonacademic attributes that enhance achievement, new …

The Knowledge And Use Of Multi-Tiered System Of Supports Tier 1 Behavioral Management Strategies By Teachers In Saudi Arabia When Students With Behavioral Challenges Are Included In The Classroom, Jehad Abdullah Alnoaim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and use of Tier 1 interventions found in the MTSS literature by general education (GE) elementary school teachers when students with behavioral challenges are included in their classrooms. The researcher utilized a purposive sampling procedure and targeted teachers from the Hail Region School District in Saudi Arabia. A 98-question survey consisting of five sections was used to measure the variables as presented to obtain data from 95 Saudi Arabian general education elementary school teachers. It focused on four themes: (a) Teachers’ Perceptions of Inclusion of Students with Challenging Behaviors; (b) …

Applied Microeconomics And Business Intelligence In The Digital Age, Thomas J. Weinandy

Dissertations

The Digital Age is defined by advances in big data, low-cost computing, and modern analytical methods. In three chapters, I apply microeconomic thought to the influence these digital technologies have on business and consumer decision-making.

Chapter One considers how Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft impact the relationship between the quantity of car service trips and fuel prices. I find that a single day 1% increase in fuel prices is associated with a 0.367 to 0.486% decrease in the number of TNC trips and a 0.033 to 0.088% increase in the number of taxi trips, even though the …

On Prediction Of Early Signs Of Alzheimer’S— A Machine Learning Framework, Abdalrahman Alsaedi

Dissertations

Dementia is a collective term used to indicate a loss of memory functions with the presence of at least one additional loss of a major cognitive ability that hinders a person’s previous level of functioning. Studies show that dementia is highly age- associated and that the most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Early recognition of Alzheimer’s disease, before irreversible damage to the brain has already occurred, is paramount to slowing or preventing the disease. Therefore, algorithms for the prediction of early signs of dementia are essential. Machine learning approach has been reported to use several data sources such …

On Problems In Random Structures, Ryan Cushman

Dissertations

This work addresses two problems in optimizing substructures within larger random structures. In the first, we study the triangle-packing number v(G), which is the maximum size of a set of edge-disjoint triangles in a graph. In particular we study this parameter for the random graph G(n,m). We analyze a random process called the online triangle packing process in order to bound v(G). The lower bound on v(G(n,m)) that this produces allows for the verification of a conjecture of Tuza for G( …

Institutional Changes In Western Michigan University For Incorporation Of Education For Sustainability, Saman Khan

Dissertations

Higher Education institutions (HEIs) have the potential to be significant contributors in the pursuit of a sustainable world through the incorporation of Education for Sustainability (EFS). However, HEIs are entrenched with structures and values that are often resistant to change. The literature reveals that instructors’ beliefs and institutional contexts are the two main factors that impact the implementation of institutional change for sustainability education. Western Michigan University (WMU) has created new required curriculum “WMU Essential Studies” (WES) for undergraduate students and they have targeted sustainability as an essential learning outcome, by integrating and applying it in content courses. Using a …

An Integrated Approach For The Assessment And Monitoring Of Land Deformation In The Riyadh City And Its Surroundings For Identifying The Controlling Factors, Abdulaziz Ibrahim Aljammaz

Dissertations

An integrated approach (remote sensing, field, geodesy, geology, and hydrogeology) was conducted to assess and monitor land deformation at Riyadh city and its surroundings. Two settings were investigated. The first, Jinadriyah area (1.5 km²), an urban area located east of Riyadh city, was selected to assess deformation associated with urbanization over desert lands. The second location was Al Kharj area (19,790 km²) to the south of Riyadh city, a reclaimed desert land that was selected to assess the deformation associated with agricultural groundwater extraction from fossil aquifers. My investigations revealed high subsidence rates (up to -30 …

Behavioral Economic Modeling Of The Effects Of Symptom, Severity, And Cost On Seeking Medical Care, Mark J. Rzeszutek

Dissertations

While the United States has some of the highest healthcare spending in the world, it has some of the worst health outcomes. For example, maternal mortality in the United States is almost five times as high as in other similarly wealthy countries. It also has the highest rates of avoidable deaths. One of the reasons for this may be the cost of accessing healthcare due to privatized insurance. For example, Americans may avoid important preventive medical visits and other health screeners due to cost. While lack of health insurance has been correlated with decreased health utilization, a precise understanding of …

From Multi-Prime To Subset Labelings Of Graphs, Bethel I. Mcgrew

Dissertations

A graph labeling is an assignment of labels (elements of some set) to the vertices or edges (or both) of a graph G. If only the vertices of G are labeled, then the resulting graph is a vertex-labeled graph. If only the edges are labeled, the resulting graph is an edge-labeled graph. The concept was first introduced in the 19th century when Arthur Cayley established Cayley’s Tree Formula, which proved that there are n^n-2 distinct labeled trees of order n. Since then, it has grown into a popular research area.

In this study, we first review several types …

Advancing The Use Of Quality Control Tools For High-Density Data In Modern Manufacturing, Romina Dastoorian

Dissertations

In modern manufacturing, advanced metrology systems are continually being incorporated into quality control (QC) systems to provide high-density (HD) datasets. These datasets can contain millions of measurements that can be used to represent a part’s whole geometry. While integrating HD datasets into QC systems has brought several opportunities to enhance the performance of QC systems, it has resulted in new challenges in this area as well. While significant amounts of research have been performed in this area, the QC research community still strives to tackle these challenges. This study identifies key challenges regarding incorporating HD datasets into QC systems. Specifically, …

The Impact Of The Advisor-Advisee Relationship Among Black And Latino/A/X Stem Graduate Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Tasia C. Bryson

Dissertations

An advisor is often the most central and powerful person influencing a student’s trajectory through graduate school (Barnes & Austin, 2009). This dissertation consisted of three articles that focused on the impact of the advisor-advisee relationship among Black and Latino/a/x students in STEM graduate programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) from the student perspective. Two frameworks were used to analyze data and guide the research: Black Feminist Thought (BFT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT). BFT was used to explore Black women’s experiences at Predominately White institutions as it provides an in-depth understanding of Black women’s perspectives. CRT was used when …

Dolomite Stoichiometry As A Proxy For Fluid Chemistry, Cameron J. Manche

Dissertations

The origin of massive dolomites is a contentious issue in geology. Because modern dolomite is rare, interpretation of ancient dolomites requires the use of proxy resources, most of which provide ambiguous information. High-temperature dolomite synthesis experiments have shown that dolomite stoichiometry, the degree of cation ordering, and reaction rate are controlled by Mg:Ca, temperature, molarity, and salinity of the formative solution. Thus, it is posited here that dolomite stoichiometry may be a useful proxy for fluid chemistry, as are stable isotope and trace element composition of ancient dolomites. High-frequency sample intervals (cm-scale) from the Cretaceous Upper Glen Rose Formation (Comanche …

Experiences Of Urban School Counselors: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Jennifer A. Meador

Dissertations

Urban School Counselors (USC) are continuously making decisions, prioritizing responsibilities, and acting in ways that best serve the needs of students, while up against complex factors and challenges (Dye, 2014). Though research has explored critical factors and provided conceptual understanding of the school counselor role, few studies have offered specific ways USCs actually implement and navigate their role in its full context (Dye, 2014; Lee, 2005; Mitcham et al., 2009). Thus, this study differed from other empirical literature in that it aimed to understand USCs holistic experiences, rather than focusing solely on one aspect of their role (e.g., leadership activities). …

The Effect Of A Contextualized Dosage Calculation Learning Intervention On Pre-Nursing Students’ Math Self-Efficacy And Ability To Pass High Stakes Dosage Calculation Examination On First Attempt, Eileen Veronica Weatherby

Dissertations

Many students in pre-licensure nursing programs struggle with calculating accurate medication dosages even though they meet the numeracy requirements for application to the nursing programs. Most pre-licensure programs require that nursing students pass dosage calculation exams at a specified level of accuracy before progressing to the next term. Students typically have three tries to pass at the specified level and should they not succeed, they must withdraw. If they wish to continue in the program, they must complete the requirements for re-entry which may include space availability restrictions. Factors influencing dosage calculation performance include fear of mathematics, low math self-efficacy, …

Development Of A New Foot And Ankle Activity Level Instrument Using The Rasch Model For Orthopaedic Clinical Application, Lauren M. Matheny

Dissertations

Patient-reported outcomes, commonly referred to as PROs, are one of the most valuable tools in assessing general health status of patients, health-related quality of life, functional levels, and symptoms (Abrams, 2017; Acquadro et al., 2003; Bingham et al., 2017). Understanding the patient’s perspective of their own functional and symptomatic levels is important for clinicians for several reasons (Acquadro et al., 2003). PROs have been considered invaluable for understanding the impact of a disease on patients, guiding treatment decisions, evaluating treatment efficacy, and interpreting clinical outcomes (Acquadro et al., 2003; Bingham et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2013). More and more …

Faculty-Student Interaction And Impact On Well-Being In Higher Education, Cortney Elizabeth Holles

Dissertations

This educational criticism and action research study was conducted in the spring of 2020 to better understand the impact that faculty-student interaction has on the well-being of faculty and students. Classes moved to remote instruction halfway through the semester, prompting an additional research question on the impact of COVID-19 on faculty-student interaction and well-being. Data were collected at an engineering school from five faculty (4 participants and the researcher) and their students primarily through interviews, focus groups (with 16 student participants), and a student questionnaire (with 73 student respondents). Data analysis was structured with Uhrmacher, McConnell, and Flinders’ (2017) instructional …

Predicting Student Success In Coursework Within A Regional Online School: An Analysis Of Student-Level And School-Level Predictors, Cary J. Stamas

Dissertations

Online education options in the K-12 environment have steadily increased from the infancy of online education at the turn of the millennia. Educators have utilized this format to meet the many different needs that exist for all students. Early research into the academic success of students in these environments prior to 2000 indicated there was no significant difference in student achievement for distance learning as compared to face-to-face learning. Since 2000, there has been increased focus on student performance in higher education online environments, but research is limited for K-12 schools. For the research that does exist, school-level variables and …

Are All These Elementary Assessments Necessary? Phenomenological Study Of Standardized Assessments In The Elementary School Setting, Cathy Wright

Dissertations

All children warrant a rich, meaningful public education that prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and challenges that await them as contributing members of a democratic society and a global economy. Based on testing calendars, teacher testimonials, and applied research from other state and local mandated testing studies, this study found that the length of time students spend taking and preparing for the test is extensive. CBS News (2015) noted between 20-25 hours are spent by each student taking standardized assessments, according to a comprehensive report of 66 of the nation’s large-city school districts by the Council of the Great …

Student And Teacher Relationships At Secondary Level, Christine Fisher

Dissertations

Interpersonal relationships between teachers and students built within a learning context have a significant influence on the development of learners’ social and emotional life. Higher levels of engagement, attachment, and motivation are common among students who strongly connect with their teachers. This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of care related to student-teacher connection from students’ experience. Noddings Theory of Care believes that caring associations are ontologically essential; thus, they play a great part in the development of student’s learning process. However, care can fail to realize the expected outcomes according to Noddings’ theory if it is misinterpreted as …

Online Instructors’ Gestures For Euclidean Transformations, Andrea Christine Alt

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to explore the nature of instructors’ gestures as they teach Euclidean transformations in a synchronous online setting, and to investigate how, if at all, the synchronous online setting impacted the instructors’ intentionality and usage of gestures. The participants in this case study were two collegiate instructors teaching Euclidean transformations to pre-service elementary teachers. The synchronous online instructors’ gestures were captured in detail via two video cameras; one through the screen-capture software built into the online conference platform used to conduct the class and another separate auxiliary camera to capture the gestures that the …

Program Evaluation Of Restorative Practices At One Elementary School, Nicholas X. Samuels

Dissertations

The rationale for this study was to evaluate the use of restorative practices at One Elementary School. During this evaluation process, I sought to discover the pros and cons of the Restorative Practices program being implemented at this school. Additionally, I sought out responses to my secondary/sub-questions to discover ways that the program’s effectiveness could be enhanced. Furthermore, my desire was to discern the effects that the program’s implementation had on the school's African American/At-Risk population. The data embedded within this study reflects the results of the Restorative Practices program implementation. My findings support the efficacy of Restorative Practices at …

Assessing The Real-Time Lagrangian Predictability Of The Operational Navy Coastal Ocean Model In The Gulf Of Mexico, Lea Kristen Locke

Dissertations

This study quantitatively assesses the drift predictive skill of Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center’s (FNMOC’s) operational ocean models which are used to support a wide range of military and civilian applications. Overall, the findings of this work support the recommendation of spatial filtering for regional-scale ocean model velocity fields used in deep-water drift applications. In conjunction with filtering, the use of a pure particle drift algorithm is suggested for short-term forecasts and a drift algorithm including a sub-grid scale, random flight, parameterization for predictions requiring extended forecast predictions.

Drift prediction skill is quantified through metrics of in-cloud percentage, distance …

Microplankton Dynamics In The River-Dominated Mississippi Bight, Adam D. Boyette

Dissertations

The Mississippi Bight (MSB) is a river-dominated continental margin influenced by multiple large river systems, including the Mississippi River, Alabama and Tombigbee rivers via Mobile Bay, and numerous smaller rivers, creeks, and bayous. This is part of a biologically-rich ecosystem that supports the second largest fishery industry by volume in the United States. Despite our understanding of the linkages between primary production with higher trophic levels, there remains limited studies quantifying these trophic interactions in this system. Microplankton (µm) community dynamics and trophic connectivity between primary producers and heterotrophic protists represent a critical nexus influencing overall biological productivity in this …

Examining The Effects Of State Anger On Self-Reported Psychopathic Trait Inventories, Olivia C. Preston

Dissertations

Research indicates that experiencing anger is linked to social undesirability and temporarily induces a host of significant changes within an individual, such as hostile attribution bias, lower trust, increased impulsivity, poorer decision-making, and preferential recall. Such changes theoretically may inflate psychopathy scores due to a greater ability or willingness to endorse attitudes, behaviors, cognitions, and emotions that are regarded as reflective of psychopathic traits and may potentially introduce random error variance into measurement. Such distortion due to mood may bear important implications for applied settings where one individual’s scores are measured at a single time point, rather than research where …

From Barriers To Success: How Elementary School Principals Strategically Lead Schools To Become 21st Century Learning Exemplar Schools, Heather Gold

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the barriers and support systems elementary principals describe, through the lens of Activity Theory, they experienced while leading their schools to achieve 21st century learning exemplar status.

Methodology: This phenomenological study examined the perceptions of 15 elementary and K-8 principals and their respective assistant principals regarding the barriers and support systems they experienced while leading their schools to achieve 21st century learning exemplar status. Participants were selected based on the criteria that they had been identified as exemplary by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21); were public, non-private, …

A Comparative Analysis Of Effective Mathematics Curriculums In The State Of Missouri, Matthew Robert Britt

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematics curriculums and implementation strategies of high-performing school districts in Missouri. The study was designed to determine any similarities or differences in the selection of mathematics curriculums or in implementation strategies among these high-performing school districts. Scores from the mathematics section of the ACT during the years all Missouri 11th-grade students were mandated to take the ACT were used to make determinations about the efficacy of mathematics curriculums and implementation strategies. The school districts with an average score in the top 10% of the state during the mandated years were asked …

Is United States’ Economic Power In Decline? Can China Replace The U.S. As The World’S Next Economic Superpower?, Islam Bakirci

Dissertations

The decline of American economic power has been passionately debated for decades. Starting from the Kennedy administration, there were many cases that declinist scholars interpreted as the beginning of American economic power decline. The financial crisis of 2007-09 is the latest case of the same debate. However, unlike the previous cases, declinist scholars who support the idea of U.S. economic power is in decline after the financial crisis, strongly believe that this time the decline is different. This time the decline is real. In addition, the same scholars also argue that China, as an economic challenger which is different from …