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At Risk For Success: Promising Practices In Their Own Voices, Amber Leigh Mcelwee

Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study utilized high school graduate perceptions to identify pedagogical methods, educational structures, and school supports that improved their participation, inclusion, and growth within their classrooms and coursework. The research was focused on students identified at-risk to graduate high school and how educational supports affected the success or constraint in attaining their diploma. The research design applied a connected learning framework structure with a focus on student interest, relationships, and opportunities as defined by the Connected Learning Alliance. One component of connected learning was student-centered learning; therefore, an examination of John Dewey’s educational philosophy of student-centered practices and …

The Ballybriar Heist: An Original Composition And The Incorporation Of Folk Music And Tintinnabuli Influences, Conor Darling Mulroy

Dissertations

The Ballybriar Heist is a thirty-eight minute five-movement piece for symphony orchestra. It is based on a condensed version of the short story “The Ballybriar Heist.” The music draws influence from a variety of sources. Through analyzing folk music and seeing its influence in concert hall compositions throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, one sees how these folk traditions evolved and were incorporated into concert hall music. Composers collected and transcribed folk music, giving them new ways to approach composition. Examining the music and performance practice of traditional Irish music shows how these traditions and performances influenced composers’ writing as …

Mothers’ Perspectives On Language And Literacy Development In Children With Disabilities Adopted From China, Jessica B. Hovland

Dissertations

Children with disabilities and special needs make up the vast majority of those currently being adopted internationally into the United States (U.S.). China has been a leading sending country for international adoption since the 1990s and remains one of the few nations with thousands of orphaned or abandoned children, many with congenital disabilities or significant medical needs, in government welfare institutions. While most children adopted internationally (CAI), whether from China or other nations, experience developmental catch-up after adoption, children with disabilities and those who spent time in institutional settings exhibit persistent language deficits that impact literacy and academic skills as …

Are Natural Killer Cells Novel Mediators Of The Effects Of Cannabidiol On Mental Health, Sleep Quantity, Sleep Quality, And Immune Function?, Jacob Norbert Kisiolek

Dissertations

Cannabidiol (CBD) has increased in popularity since the United States Farm Bill legalized hemp production in 2018 and is now projected to become a $24.4 billion dollar industry by 2025. Since its legalization, CBD is thought to be an antiepileptic, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic, as well as an agent to improve mental health, quality of life, aspects of sleep and immune function. However, many of these claims lack scientific evidence. The purpose of this randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial was to determine the effects of an 8-week CBD intervention on measures of mental health, sleep quantity, sleep quality, and natural killer …

Effects Of Noise, Light, And Landscape On Birds In A Recently Urbanized County, Karina Alejandra Sanchez

Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities are drastically and rapidly altering ecosystems. Research has found that urban environments support less biodiversity than non-urban environments. This work has inspired recent interest investigating animal behavior and individual reproductive success in urban wildlife as mechanisms to why biodiversity is lower in urban areas. For my dissertation research, I used three key urban characteristics; noise, light, and landscape composition to study the effects of urbanization on avian species across Weld County, CO. I used these measurements to test the overarching hypothesis that urban land characteristics alter avian community structure and more specific hypotheses regarding how each factor (noise, …

Post-Secondary Education Influence: College Vs. Skilled Trades, Sidney Joseph

Dissertations

Vocational education is a learning process where individuals focus on manual training with a non-academic curriculum related to a specific trade or occupation where individuals seek careers without college. According to Merriam-Webster (2019), vocational education is a type of education or training directed at a particular field and its skills. A skilled trade is any occupation that requires a specific skill set, knowledge, or ability. It is usually a hands-on job, but skilled trades are found in every career cluster. Vocational education helps create future professionals who need education and training, leading to job opportunities for plumbers, mechanics, and factory …

Transplantability In Burdened Populations: A Regional Analysis Of The Robotic-Assisted Kidney Transplant Impact On Access Given Socioeconomic And Demographic Factors, Earnest James Davis Jr.

Dissertations

Introduction/Background

The social contract of health (SCOH) in America that governs healthcare interactions has listed toward provider organizations and away from the patient. End stage renal disease treatment provides an explicatory case to examine an unbalanced SCOH. The study evaluates whether the robot-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) technique allows for patients with higher body mass indices and of burdened socioeconomic and sociodemographic status improved access to transplant compared to traditional open kidney transplant (OKT).

Methods

The study set combined extant data for patients transplanted at Chicago from two data sets. Investigators used independent t-tests, chi-squared tests, survival analysis, analysis of frequencies, …

Implementing Theory-Based Debriefing In The Clinical Learning Environment To Improve Teaching And Learning Outcomes, Adrienne Denise Wilk

Dissertations

For decades, the hallmark of nursing education has been experiential learning in a hands-on clinical environment (Kolb, 1984), allowing students to utilize clinical reasoning and decision-making skills and apply theoretical knowledge to patient encounters (Gubrud-Howe, 2020). To optimize student learning, nurse educators must develop skills to implement teaching methods that promote higher-level reasoning skills in students. One teaching method that is useful in the clinical setting and promotes higher-level reasoning is debriefing. While there were robust findings in the literature about debriefing simulated clinical experiences and the positive effect these had on students’ learning and reasoning (Cantrell, 2008; Dreifuerst, 2012; …

A Narrative Inquiry Into The Impact Of Chronic Within-Year Teacher Turnover On Students, Sara Ashley Myers

Dissertations

This dissertation explored the impact of chronic within-year teacher turnover through the narratives of students who have experienced it. A three-part series of interviews were used to capture these lived stories, in addition to artifact collection and creation, by focusing on the perceptions of events through time and the impact of said events on students’ beliefs and understandings of teacher-student relationships. Participants included three junior students who had experienced within-year teacher turnover chronically, with three instances or more in their school career. The data collected from these series of interviews and collection of artifacts were analyzed and restoryed alongside participants …

The Impact Of Service-Learning Experiences On Baccalaureate Nursing Alumni, Stephanie Joy Matthew

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore the long-term impact of international service-learning (ISL) experiences taken by nursing students in Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs and how their current nursing practice might be affected by these experiences. A sequential explanatory mixed methods case study design was used to survey and interview BSN alumni about their cross-cultural experiences. The quantitative survey data used the Cultural Capacity Scale (Perng & Watson, 2012) to compare scores of 93 BSN alumni who did and did not have an ISL experience during nursing school. Then the qualitative portion utilized semi-structured interviews …

An Examination Of Academic Growth In Middle School Students Receiving Tier 3 Instruction And Teacher Perceptions Regarding Mindset, Stephanie M. Opela

Dissertations

Existing research on the implementation of RTI and growth mindset practices at the secondary level was sparse, despite the literature on the challenges facing the middle school structure and best practices for adolescent learners. This quantitative study added to the body of research by examining components of each effort in an urban school district. The researcher compared the academic growth of middle school students who received Tier 3 instructional support in reading or math to the academic growth of students who did not receive Tier 3 support. The data revealed no significant difference between the growth of the two groups. …

An Historical Study Of Student Outcomes For School Improvement Grant Recipient Turnaround High Schools In The State Of Missouri With Emphasis On Ninth Grade Achievement, Attendance, Discipline, And Graduation Rates, Juanita Chambers

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the implementation of the School Improvement Grant using the Turnaround Model to improve student academics, by looking at attendance, and drop out and graduation rates on ninth-grade achievement in Missouri. In the United States, within our urban schools, high school drop-out has been a serious, national crisis, which effects the graduation rate. Dropping out of high school has many unfavorable results that have negative effects on the economy, such as employment, crime, personal earnings, and health, such as in the lack of insurance. Students exhibit problems before they enter high school. Thus, …

Interventional Radiology Procedures Without Sedation: The Nurse Experience, Catherine De Leon

Dissertations

Background: Many IR procedures offer a less invasive and economical alternative to some open or laparoscopic surgeries. Patients undergoing a procedure without moderate sedation are awake, alert, with heightened sensory perceptions, and vulnerable to their surroundings. There is a gap in the current body of literature relating to the IR nurse’s experience of caring for patients during procedures without the use of moderate sedation.

Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of Interventional Radiology (IR) nurses caring for conscious patients undergoing a procedure without the use of sedation. This phenomenological study aimed to describe the …

Perceptions Of Secondary Educators Regarding The Educational Engagement Of African Immigrant Students With Disabilities, Charity Obiageli Uzochukwu

Dissertations

Despite the vital role that educational engagement has on student learning and academic achievement, there is limited research on how secondary educators perceive the concept concerning African immigrant students with disabilities. There is a significant increase of African immigrant students with disabilities in United States (U.S.) public schools. Little is known regarding how secondary educators perceive their roles and facilitate educational engagement for these students. Inadequate information about immigrant students with disabilities, further makes it difficult to support this student population in U.S. public schools. This phenomenological qualitative study investigated how secondary educators perceived their roles in facilitating educational engagement …

Transformative And Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Learning At The Secondary Level, Jennifer Ann Santos

Dissertations

This grounded constructivist theory study explored 21 public-school teachers’ perceptions of important knowledge for implementing social-emotional content at the secondary level to diverse populations of students and students who have experienced trauma. The participants in this study represented seven unique school districts from two different states in suburban and rural settings who have taught Social-Emotional Learning for at least 2 years. One main research question and three sub-questions guided this grounded theory study: What is your perception regarding what are important aspects of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) implemented currently at the secondary level that is inclusive of all learners from all …

Attachment Style And Teacher-Student Relationships Within Residential Treatment: A Mixed Methods Approach, John Paul Richardson

Dissertations

Little is known about the characteristics of special education teachers who work in residential treatment care facilities. The quality of relation between teachers and students beset with histories of abuse, neglect, trauma, or other mental health concerns is seen to be an important aspect to the success of this work. Understanding the attachment histories of teachers working in residential treatment may illuminate the factors that prompt these individuals to persist in this challenging environment. A mixed-methods, convergent-parallel design was conducted with 31 teachers working in residential treatment using the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR) and Teacher-Student Relationship Inventory (TSRI) to …

“The Adaptanators” And “The Geode:” A Single-Case Study Of Narrative Co-Wonderfulness Interviews And The Relationship In Supervision During The First Practicum Experience, David William Matheson

Dissertations

Wonderfulness Interviews (WI) have been discussed as a meaningful entry point into the counseling relationship in Narrative Therapy with children and families (Ingamells, 2016; Marsten et al., 2016). Wonderfulness Interviews are designed to uncover and story a person’s Wonderfulnesses and reclaim “the person and the territory of the conversation from the problem” in work with children and families in Narrative Therapy (Ingamells, 2016, p. 61). WI allow individuals to enter into the therapeutic relationship through telling stories of the qualities that make them the most exemplary as human beings (Marsten et al., 2016). WI and their potential contributions had not …

Exploring Perceptions Of Math Instructional Practices In Preparation For High-Stakes Testing, Rachel M. Green

Dissertations

In all things, I give my God glory; He is my strength and comforter. To my mom, thank you for giving me life and choosing to love me relentlessly. You are, to me, an inspiration and a warrior for Christ. To my mother-in-law, my first classroom teacher, completing this project could not have happened without you. Its success is just as much yours as it is mine. Thank you for giving me my best friend and biggest supporter. To my Joe, the wind beneath my wings and protector of my heart, you have been with me through every season of …

Biomarkers And Factors Related To Risk Of Acute Kidney Injury, Mary Ann David

Dissertations

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay, and in-hospital cost. Timely intervention is needed to prevent disease progression, but the delay in diagnostic process often results in delayed treatment. Recent studies show a significant increase in novel urine biomarkers (UB), TIMP-2 and IGFBP7, has been linked to an increased risk of AKI.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among participants’ sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including select biomarkers, care management processes, treatments, and patient outcomes in a sample of hospitalized critically ill patients in southern California.

Findings: Study …

Membrane Bioreactor For Enhanced Enzymatic Hydrolysis Of Cellulose, Saleha Abdullah Al-Mardeai

Dissertations

With the rising environmental concerns related to fossil fuels utilization and the depletion of these resources, interest in bioethanol from lignocellulosic waste as an alternative, sustainable energy source has been increasing. Date palm waste is considered a good feedstock for bioethanol production, especially in countries of large date palm plantations, such as the United Arab Emirates.

In the lignocellulose to bioethanol process, the enzymatic hydrolysis of celluloses to produce simple sugars that can be converted to bioethanol by fermentation is the most challenging step, and enhancing it is essential for efficient and feasible operation. Enzyme inhibition by the products is …

Resource Allocation For Heterogeneous Wireless Networks Of Devices With Multi-Connectivity, Monika Prakash

Dissertations

This dissertation contributes to designing an effective resource allocation scheme for multi-connectivity (MC) networks. MC is a feature that allows devices to utilize the radio resources from more than one base station simultaneously. With MC anticipated to play a key role in satisfying the stringent QoS requirements of the next-generation networks (5G/6G), it is crucial to efficiently allocate the resources across multiple connections of one or more radio access technologies (RATs).
/="/">Currently, there is a huge demand on the availability of radio spectrum resources with a large volume of different types of data traffic (Internet-of-things, human-based, machine-machine) traversing the …

Evaluation Of The Proliferation Of Electromagnetic Radiation In Smart Indoor Environment And Subsequent Absorption On Human Head By Simulation And Factorial Analysis, Reshna Raveendran

Dissertations

Smart buildings using 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) acknowledge themselves as one of the undeniable byproducts occasioned from the fifth Industrial Revolution and are seen as the best solution adopted by the built environment. Smart buildings are publicized to carry a spectrum of benefits for building occupants ranging from actively saving electricity, ensuring operational efficiency to facilitating health support, wellness and productivity. Conversely, the negative aspects associated with smart buildings are often marginalized, and the limited research produced so far makes them seemingly non-existent. Literature review informs us that a smart building being subjected to external and artificial radiation …

Koh-Based Modified Solvay Process: Optimization And Kinetics Studies, Aya Abdel-Hamid Mourad

Dissertations

While desalination of seawater is important for meeting the water demand, the technology produces large volumes of reject brine and CO₂, causing environmental pollution. Solvay process (based on ammonia, NH₃) and modified Solvay process (based on calcium oxide, CaO) try to manage these wastes. However, more attention is needed to overcome different limitations of these processes such as, alkaline solubility, operating temperature, maintaining high pH value, and low sodium (Na⁺) removal efficiency, which does not exceed 35%. The aim of this work is to introduce an alternative alkaline, namely potassium hydroxide (KOH) and investigate …

Outside And In: Social Support's Relationship With Support While Incarcerated, Phillip Michael Galli

Dissertations

Positive social support acts as a barrier against life events. Related to crime, positive social support may improve prison institutional behavior, reentry outcomes, and reduce recidivism. Conversely, negative support may create deleterious effects for individuals as they navigate life’s challenges. This dissertation explores the relationships between indicators of positive pre-prison social support (living as a family unit, marriage, financial help) and pre-cursors to negative social support pre-prison (caregiver substance use, family criminal history, growing up in foster care, receiving welfare, living in public housing and physical/sexual abuse) and three forms of carceral social support (visitation, making/receiving phone calls, and religious …

Gay Male K-12 School Leaders' Self-Sabotaging Behaviors And Their Journey To Reclaiming Their Power: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, John Mccarthy

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-method explanatory study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by California gay male K-12 school leaders to explore the impact these behaviors have had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify strategies employed by California gay male K-12 school leaders to overcome these self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This mixed-method sequential explanatory study explored the lived experiences of eight gay male K-12 school leaders who self-identified that they have experienced self-sabotaging behaviors throughout their career. Purposeful, convenience, snowball sampling was utilized to identify gay men who met …

Bis(Tryptophan) Amphiphiles: Design, Synthesis And Efficacy As Antimicrobial Agents, Michael Mckeever

Dissertations

Amphiphiles play important roles in nature. These molecules contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, leading to some astonishing properties. The lipid bilayer of the cell membrane is a fascinating organization of amphiphilic phospholipids. Natural and synthetic amphiphiles, such as antimicrobial peptides, interact with the cell membrane. Such interactions can impact transport of molecules across the cell membrane, disrupting cell functions. In this work, a library of tryptophan-containing amphiphiles was synthesized and their antimicrobial properties were explored.

First, a library of bis(tryptophan) amphiphiles was synthesized. Preparation included a coupling reaction of a diamine with tryptophan residues, via their carboxy-termini, at …

A Quantitative Study On The Impact Of Adapted School Instruction As A Result Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Student Standardized Math Scores In A Midwest Public School District At The Middle School Level, Matthew Walker Buschman

Dissertations

The COVID-19 Pandemic has presented the educational system with challenges that have caused adaptive instruction techniques for all student populations in one way or another. The researcher chose to focus specifically on the impact of adaptive instruction as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the area of mathematics by evaluating student growth on STAR Math Assessments at the Middle School level for a Midwest Public School District. Through evaluating the data from pre-adaptive instruction to post-adaptive instruction as a result of COVID-19, the researcher aimed to identify possible declines in growth as a result of adaptive learning from the …

Native Hawaiian Caregivers' Cultural Perspectives Of Pediatric Asthma Management, Donna-Marie Palakiko

Dissertations

Asthma remains the leading cause of chronic respiratory illness among Native Hawaiian children 0 to 17 years in Hawai'i. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) established asthma management guidelines which includes medical assessment and monitoring, education in partnership with the caregiver, control of environmental triggers, and medication adherence (National Asthma Education Prevention Program [NAEPP], 2007).
However, these guidelines do not consider the worldview, health beliefs, and cultural practices of caregiver, child, and family.

The purpose of this study was to describe how Native Hawaiian caregivers manage pediatric asthma, to understand which strategies are considered cultural practices, and to …

Phenomenological Study On Leaders With Heart: Examining The Effects Of Heart-Led Leadership With Remote Employees, Aries Sanders

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to examine and describe how exemplary leaders of remote teams lead from the heart, using Mark Crowley’s four principles to accomplish extraordinary results in organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study examines and describes how exemplary leaders of remote teams at Fortune Global 500 companies who lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles accomplish extraordinary results in an organization. The research study is qualitative. The qualitative method was chosen to describe and understand the lived human experience. The study aims to uncover and explain patterns to make a scholarly contribution …

Female African American Higher Education Chief Executives: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study Of Their Use Of Personal Power To Dismantle Self-Sabotage, La Toya Davis, Nee Goodrum

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe self-sabotaging behaviors experienced by female African American higher education chief executives and to explore the impact these behaviors had on their career development. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify the strategies employed by female African American higher education chief executives to overcome self-sabotaging behaviors.

Methodology: This explanatory mixed method study identified and described the lived experiences of eight female African American higher education chief executives across the United States. This research design encompassed a sequential data collection method using an electronic survey instrument …