Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of United Arab Emirates National Culture On Leadership Styles In Higher Education Institutions, Hamsa Saleh Al Ammari

Dissertations

Academic institutions and universities are complicated organizations led by professionals and academics who owe their knowledge and skills to their experience in education and leadership. In a country like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), education leaders who come from different cultural backgrounds practice their daily duties within a context where the local national culture imposes certain assumptions, beliefs, norms, and attitudes on them, thereby controlling their understanding of leadership and shaping their behavior. There has been little academic research into what constitutes the national culture of the UAE, a young, cosmopolitan amalgamation of seven Emirates, viewed internationally as an Arab, …

Impact Of Date-Pit Activated Carbon In Different Applications: Biomedical And Environment, Betty Titus Mathew

Dissertations

Activated carbon (AC) or activated charcoal are black carbonaceous porous solid material with prominent physico-chemical properties such as low volume pore size distribution, high specific surface area, and high-degree of surface reactivity for adsorption and other chemicals reactions. AC as strong and reliable adsorbent have been reported to be employed in diverse applications stretching from water/air purification, medical, sewage treatment, energy storage devices, catalyst, supercapacitor electrodes fabrication, and as biosensors component. In this current work, AC was produced from date pits, which is a common biological waste product in UAE, and used for biomedical and environmental applications instead of using …

Livestock Ticks In The Uae: Prevalence, Distribution, Population Dynamics, And Associated Microorganisms, Nighat Perveen

Dissertations

Ticks are important vectors of an array of viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens resulting in a wide range of animal and human diseases in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In this study, ticks were collected from camels, cows, sheep, and goats in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The objectives of the study were to (1) identify tick species of livestock through taxonomic keys and using molecular markers, and determine their prevalence and distribution in the UAE, (2) assess Hyalomma dromedarii seasonal population fluctuation over a year under common camel breeding and management …

Molecular Mechanism Of Action Of The Natural Polyphenolic Compound And The P300 Inhibitor “Carnosol” Against The Triple Negative Breast Cance, Halima Ali Mohammed Salem Alsamri

Dissertations

Carnosol, a naturally occurring Phyto polyphenol found in sage, oregano, and rosemary, has been extensively studied by our laboratory for its anticancer effects in various types of cancer. In human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), carnosol was shown to inhibit cellular viability, colony growth, induced cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and apoptosis. Nonetheless, very little is known about the molecular mechanism of action. In the current study, the ability of carnosol to inhibit metastasis and tumour growth was examined. Wound healing and invasion assays revealed that carnosol inhibited migration and invasion at non-cytotoxic concentrations of MDA-MB-231 cells. Also, carnosol was found to …

Investigating The Impact Of Pogil-Based Instruction Versus Lecturing Based Instruction On Grade 12 Performance In Circular Motion Unit, Self-Efficacy, And Attitudes, Saif Saeed Al Neyadi

Dissertations

This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL)-based instruction versus lecture-based instruction on Grade 12 students’ performance in circular motion unit, self-efficacy, and attitudes. Four research questions guided the study. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design was adopted as a methodology to investigate and assess the impact of POGIL-based instruction versus lecture-based instruction on students’ performance as measured by three types of cognitive outcomes; Knowing, Applying and Reasoning (KAR). Two government high schools in Alain were selected as research sites, one for the boys and one for the girls. The total number of participants was approximately …

Essays On The Impacts Of Extreme Natural Events On Health, Moumita Ghorai

Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three chapters that examine how extreme events impact health outcomes such as short-term illness, body mass index, probability of pre-term birth, and mortality. The study reveals the severe consequences of these events and shows that certain groups within a particular country are affected disproportionately.

The first chapter examines whether National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), India’s flagship workfare program, mitigates adverse health outcomes of a drought. This paper contributes to a growing area of research on adaptations to climate change. Using Indian Human Development Survey (2004-2005 and 2010-2011), a nationally representative panel data set, and high resolution …

Semi-Empirical Modeling Of Liquid Carbon's Containerless Solidification, Philip Chrostoski

Dissertations

Elemental carbon has important structural diversity, ranging from nanotubes through graphite to diamond. Previous studies of micron-size core/rim carbon spheres extracted from primitive meteorites suggest they formed around such stars via the solidification of condensed carbon-vapor droplets, followed by gas-to-solid carbon coating to form the graphite rims. Similar core/rim particles result from the slow cooling of carbon vapor in the lab. The long-range carbon bond-order potential was used to computationally study liquid-like carbon in (1.8 g/𝐜𝐦𝟑) periodic boundary (tiled-cube supercell) and containerless (isolated cluster) settings. Relaxations via conjugate-gradient and simulatedannealing nucleation and growth simulations using molecular dynamics were done to …

Normalization And Family Functioning In Families With A Child Who Is Technology Dependent, Valerie Boebel Toly

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between child/maternal factors (child's functional status, level of technology dependence, mother's depressive symptoms, length of caregiving duration, amount of home health care nursing hours, race, family income and age of the child) and (a) family functioning, as well as (b) normalization in families with a child who is technology dependent. Additionally, this study examined whether there are differences in family functioning, normalization and mother's depressive symptoms based upon the child's level of technology dependence (mechanical ventilation, intravenous nutrition/medication, respiratory/nutritional support). A descriptive, correlational design was used in this cross-sectional study.

Workplace Bullying: Exploring The Prevalence, Impact, And Consequences To Nurses, Peggy Ann Berry

Dissertations

Most novice nurses will experience workplace bullying (WPB) behaviors within 1-2 years of licensure. This exposure adversely affects work productivity. The purposes of this study were to (1) explore factors that resulted in the adoption of WPB behaviors; (2) determine the differences in perceived stress, anxiety state, and posttraumatic stress symptoms based on bullying exposure frequencies and select nurse characteristics; and (3) explore strategies to manage or stop WPB behaviors.

Shining A Light: Compassion Fatigue In Psychiatric Nursing And Nursing Students, Kathryn M. Chachula

Dissertations

Low levels of compassion satisfaction (CS) and high levels of compassion fatigue (CF), comprised of burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS), have been identified as a serious concern among students within health science disciplines.

To conduct a cross-sectional survey to determine what factors are related to the development of BO and STS within a pre-licensure health studies student population of undergraduate nursing and psychiatric nursing disciplines, groups that have seldom been studied.

Humanizing The Inhumane: The Meaning Of The American Indian Patient-Cancer Care Nurse Relationship, Natalie M. Pool

Dissertations

This study described the unique relationships that develop while providing cancer care to AI populations and the underlying meaning that nurses ascribed to these experiences. Methods: This was an interpretive phenomenological study with multiple data collections and analysis. Nine cancer care nurses with a minimum of three years of experience working with AI patients participated by engaging in 2-3 exploratory, open-ended, reflective interviews over a period of nine months. Thematic reduction was completed to explicate the fundamental structures of this particular relationship. I then engaged in extensive reflective writing resulting in a linguistic transformation illuminating the essential meaning for nurses …

Senior Nursing Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Perceived Competency About Older Adults, Deborah Denise Brabham

Dissertations

Nurses entering the workforce may have limited education in gerontological nursing. Therefore, many nurses are unprepared to provide quality care to older adults. An unprepared nursing workforce could negatively influence older adults' health outcomes and care experience.

To determine differences in senior nursing students' knowledge, attitudes, and perceived competency about older adults based on enrollment in a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN), associate's degree nursing (ADN), and practical nursing (PN) program that offers geriatric content in curricula.

Human 5’-Tailed Mirtrons Are Processed By Rnasep, Mohammad Farid Zia

Dissertations

Approximately a thousand microRNAs (miRNAs) are documented from human cells. A third appear to transit non-canonical pathways that typically bypass processing by Drosha, the dedicated nuclear miRNA producing enzyme. The largest class of non-canonical miRNAs are mirtrons which eschew Drosha to mature through spliceosome activity. While mirtrons are found in several configurations, the vast majority of human mirtron species are 5’-tailed. For these mirtrons, a 3’ splice site defines the 3’ end of their hairpin precursor while a “tail” of variable length separates the 5’ base of the hairpin from the nearest splice site. How this tail is removed is …

Perceptions Toward A Restraint-Free Practice: A Case Study, Suzanne Barnum Goetz

Dissertations

The importance of reducing the use of psychiatric-mental health mechanical restraints has been the focus of clinical nursing practice. A hospital with two psychiatric-mental health units has demonstrated a sustained success related to reducing mechanical restraints. In this qualitative case study, nurses were interviewed to understand how the reduction of mechanical restraints on the psychiatric-mental health units impacts the practice culture and the perception of the psychiatric nurses toward a mechanical restraint-free practice. This study provided new knowledge related to evidence from the psychiatric-mental health nursing practice, themes of barriers, and facilitators toward a restraint-free practice. The participants describe the …

Barriers, Enablers, And Strategies Influencing Female Leaders' Career Advancement In The Nuclear Industry, Anesa Davis

Dissertations

Women entering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations increased by 19% between 1970 and 2019, but at 74% of the STEM workforce, men still dominate the field (Martinez & Christnacht, 2021). In the nuclear industry, this disparity is most apparent with few women holding leadership roles within nuclear organizations (Kovaleski, 2014; Gaspar & Dubertrand, 2019). While research suggests that companies with women leaders in the manager level through the board level excel in organizational performance (Catalyst, 2007), a problem exists for women when trying to promote to leadership positions, especially to the C-suite in STEM fields (Warner, 2014).

Findings …

The Motive To Work: Assessing Organizational Motivation Within The Federal Probation System, Aleda M. Thomas

Dissertations

Competition within the United States workforce is growing at an unprecedented rate. Turnover rates of all organizations and businesses have reached an all-time high. According to the U.S. Labor Department, 4.3 million Americans quit their job in the month of August alone. Times have shifted to where the ball no longer resides on the side of employers, but now it resides with employees. As such, it is vital to ensure workplaces are enjoyable and encompass cultures that produce high levels of motivation, satisfaction, and engagement. As such, the retention of skilled and qualified employees must be at the forefront of …

Infrastructure Risk Reduction: The Case Of Drinking Water Emergencies, Mark Paine

Dissertations

Public water systems are an integral part of community infrastructure. Drinking water contamination or service disruptions have the potential to cause economic losses, limit fire suppression capability, and result in human illnesses. Until 2016, the United States federal government had not issued a disaster declaration due to contaminated water. The first federal drinking water disaster declaration due to contaminated water serves as a sentinel event demonstrating the need to increase focus on public water systems during all phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery. Previous studies evaluating risks to vulnerable populations associated with drinking water primarily utilized qualitative …

Self-Management Experiences Of Community-Dwelling Adults With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Wendy S. Bauer

Dissertations

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an incurable lung illness causing significant individual and public health burden. Individuals with COPD often experience high symptom burden, unpredictable exacerbations, numerous comorbid conditions, and frequent health care utilization. Self-management can improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs; however, many individuals with COPD struggle with effective self-management. Improving the self-management of individuals with COPD and the delivery of self-management support from health care providers is crucial to reducing the individual and societal costs of the illness.

The purpose of this study was to explore the self-management experiences of community-dwelling adults living with COPD …

The Willingness And Ability Of First Responders To Report For Duty During Disasters: A Case Study Of Local Law Enforcement Officers, William Peak

Dissertations

Role abandonment of employees is a vulnerability of first responder organizations that can be exposed when disasters occur. Organizational vulnerabilities created by role abandonment of first responders can be reduced by understanding the willingness and ability of employees to report for duty during disasters. To gain a better understanding of law enforcement organizational vulnerability to disasters, this study utilizes an online survey disseminated to police officers (n = 314) working for a police department along the Gulf Coast to determine their willingness and ability to report for duty and examines the barriers and facilitators impacting their decision to report …

Soliton Based All-Optical Data Processing In Waveguides, Amaria Javed

Dissertations

The growing demand for higher data processing speed and capacity motivates the replacement of the current electronic data processing by optical data processing in analogy with the successful replacement of electronic data communication by optical data communication. In a quest to achieve comprehensive optical data processing we aim at using solitons in waveguide arrays to perform all-optical data processing operations. Solitons are special nonlinear waves appreciated for their ability to conserve their shape and velocity before and after scattering. They are observed naturally in diverse fields of science, namely, nonlinear physics, mathematics, hydrodynamics, biophysics, and quantum field theory, etc. with …

Adult Postoperative Open-Heart Patients: Anemia And 30-Day Hospital Readmission, Lindsey J. Ryan

Dissertations

In 2013 alone, more than 4% (3.9 million) of patients discharged from a hospital were readmitted. Anemia following a surgical procedure is associated with early hospital readmission.

The following specific aims were addressed:

• Aim 1. To develop an operational definition of the term condition-based maintenance as applied to health care and discuss the applicability and effectiveness of condition-based maintenance within health care.
• Aim 2. To identify the number of adult patients undergoing elective open-heart surgery with preoperative anemia.
• Aim 3. To examine the relationship between preoperative anemia, sociodemographics, and 30-day hospital readmission rates among postoperative open-heart adult patients.
• Aim 4. …

The Female Overactive Bladder In Our Beverage-Centered Society: An Evolutionary Perspective, Sarah Becker Hortsch

Dissertations

Over recent decades, chronic disease has trended upwards, associated with the mismatch between our modern nutritional environment and our paleolithic genome. The beverage industry has exploded in sync with chronic conditions, including bladder symptomatology. This dissertation uses the logic and paradigm of evolutionary medicine to examine the modern beverage culture as a cause of the current high overactive bladder prevalence rates (17-31%, age dependent). A natural experiment exemplar concludes the dissertation with proof of concept that societal-wide influences to hyper-hydrate by drinking beyond thirst influences non-pathological changes to bladder state. The study is a secondary analysis with main outcome measure …

How Do Faculty Foster The Development Of Nursing Student Empathy In The Clinical Learning Environment?, Caroline E. Rae

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how faculty foster the development of nursing student empathy in the clinical learning environment. While much of nursing education focuses on building technical knowledge and skills, the literature supports a growing need to focus on developing an empathetic practice. It is important to support the development of empathic skills to better prepare future nurses to provide high-quality patient-centered care.

Predictors Of Quality Of Life In Thai Adults With Early-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease, Warissara Sorat

Dissertations

The incidence and prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are increasing worldwide. Persons with CKD constitute a large population with a high prevalence of morbidity and mortality in Thailand. Treatment of CKD generally involves a multidisciplinary team and requires a comprehensive assessment and aggressive treatment plan to improve the health status of persons with CKD to slow the disease progression. This study aimed to examine factors that influence quality of life among Thai adults with early-stage CKD and test the constructs of a complex model identifying individual and family factors, knowledge, depression, and self-efficacy related to self-management behavior and quality …

Quality Remediation Programs Lead To Successful Learning, Katherine T. Ralph

Dissertations

The mission of nursing programs is to prepare as many students as possible to pass the first-time attempt on the National Council Licensure Examination- RN (NCLEX-RN®). If a school's first-time pass rate drops below 80%, the school is at risk of being closed by the State Board of Nursing. Furthermore, a student's ability to work as a registered nurse (RN) depends on passing the NCLEX-RN®, and the overall impact on our nation's health due to the current nursing shortage.

The purpose of this study was to examine the policies and strategies used in nursing programs to increase NCLEX-RN® first-time attempt …

"It Was A Season..." Postpartum Depression In American Indian/Alaska Native Women, Jennifer Leigh Heck

Dissertations

Postpartum depression (PPD) is linked to diminished maternal, pediatric, and family health outcomes and is designated as the most common childbirth complication. PPD is found in most populations, and touts international status as a major public health concern. Clinicians define PPD as an episode of major depressive disorder with a "peripartum onset" that occurs within the first year after delivery. Studies suggest that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women suffer higher PPD prevalence (14% to 29%) than other United States' women, revealing a racial/ethnic disparity. Health disparities research is a national public health priority and substantiates the need to explore PPD …

Preparing Nursing Students To Respond To Disasters: Faculty Perspectives, Melissa Jayne Freshwater

Dissertations

This mixed methods study explored emergency preparedness and disaster response in the concept-based learning curriculum adopted by the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) in 2016. The concept-based curriculum employs active learning in lieu of the traditional lecture-style teaching methods.

This study addressed the problem that educators may be unfamiliar with this content and are unsure how to present this material to students. The purpose of this study was to gain insight on teaching methodologies, to better prepare nursing students on this content.

Kolb's 1984 Experiential Learning Theory was the framework that parallels closely with this curriculum. Kolb emphasizes four stages …

Bedside Counseling For Medical Inpatients Who Misuse Alcohol, Lise Anne Cooper

Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the process and results of a program implemented to motivate patients that are admitted to a medical center with diagnoses of alcohol misuse to seek addiction recovery. The primary research question is: How does bedside addiction counseling reduce the patient's number of readmissions and length of stay? This is a comparative, interventional mixed methods study. This study also examines the methods used to identify the inpatients at the medical center that are admitted with alcohol misuse, and how that identification process initiates treatment.

Measuring Knowledge And Behavior After An Educational Program On Air Pollution As A Health Risk Reduction Strategy, Mary Eileen Guerin Kloster

Dissertations

Potential exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution must be considered as part of an overall health risk reduction strategy. Toxicants identified in outdoor air pollution, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and photochemical ozone cause a systemic inflammatory response to the heart and lungs after exposure. Inside the home, health issues from exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are intensified when the home is sealed with the windows and doors closed. This explanatory study sought to promote health by teaching participants about strategies to reduce risks related to indoor and outdoor effects of …

You’Ve Got Mail: A Sequential Mixed Methods Linguistic Investigation Of Faculty And Advisor Email, Kevin A. Manley

Dissertations

Email is one of the most prolific forms of communication in the world. As colleges and universities move more student experiences online, faculty members and advisors need to understand how to best communicate with students. In an attempt to understand how faculty and advisors write, and, more importantly, how students read, I developed this two-phase mixed methods investigation. In Phase I, I collected nine writing samples from 19 faculty and advisor participants and dissected the samples with Pennebaker Conglomerate’s 2015 Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) program. In a transition phase, I leveraged Phase I data to create an instrument …