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Efficient Numerical Methods For Monge-Ampere Type Equations, Jake S. Brusca

Dissertations

Current numerical methods for Monge-Ampere-type equations and Optimal Transport problems face challenges when handling higher dimensions and large-scale data. This dissertation aims to develop and analyze efficient, highly parallelizable numerical algorithms for solving the Monge-Ampere equation to address these issues. Two approaches are employed:

(1) The discretization method is enhanced by introducing an integral repre-sentation of the Monge-Ampere operator. This integral can be discretized using higher-order quadrature, yielding a more efficient, higher-order monotone scheme that allows for narrower stencils. An additional advantage of this discretization is its natural extension to arbitrary dimensions.

(2) The nonlinear solvers for this scheme are …

Using The Home Health Oasis To Promote Advance Care Planning Among Community-Dwelling, Frail Older Adults, Suzanne S. Sullivan

Dissertations

Despite an aging population with increasing proportions of frailty and decline, the rates of documented Advance care plans (ACP), meant to align goals for care with the level of treatment at end-of-life (EOL), are low (~30-40%). Patients expect clinicians to raise the question about serious illness goals for care when the time is right, however, there are a number of barriers to the initiation of these difficult conversations including provider bias and uncertainty. A review of the literature indicates that there are few prognostic indices available for use to identify the right time to initiate EOL conversations based on risk …

A Comparison Between Unit-Based Education And Centralized Education Among Staff Nurses, Marilyn J. Campbell

Dissertations

Educating staff nurses is pivotal in the evolving healthcare environment. Two staff development models used in the healthcare setting are unit-based and centralized. Unit-based education is a staff development model that places educators on individual units. These educators direct the educational development of staff nurses on their assigned units. Centralized education meets generalized learning needs and provides nursing departments with scheduled education sessions or impromptu meetings regarding changes to policies and procedures. In addition, centralized educators are assigned to address the learning needs of the nurses on several units with universal orientation (Cummings & McCaskey, 1992), coordinate and implement intravenous …

History Education: Learning History From Community College Students’ Perspectives, Mylinh V. Pham

Dissertations

Given the current political climate of division, the study of history is important now more than ever, but the value of the study of history has been marginalized. This study used student focus groups to understand ways in which history could be taught in such a way that its importance is emphasized through relevance and connection to current social and political issues and through student-centered learning. This study also determined how history could help students evaluate and think critically about historical content. This study drew on the experiences of community college students who have taken a higher education history course …

High-Fidelity Simulation: Methods To Decrease Stress And Anxiety In Prelicensure Nursing Students, Barbara L. Biddle

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation literature review was to discuss causes of and methods to reduce stress and anxiety among prelicensure student nurses before and during a simulation so that learning through simulation prepares students to care for patients safely. This literature review focused on the history of simulation in training, feelings of anxiety and stress among nursing students, theories pertinent to nursing simulation, prelicensure students' views and outcomes in simulations, and the research measures that helped reduce stress and anxiety during simulation training.

Radiating Excellence: Leadership Styles In Nuclear Power That Influence Operators Towards Industry Best Practices, Joshua Copeland

Dissertations

Poor leadership is the root cause for the three most significant accidents in the nuclear industry. The purpose of this research was to determine the best leadership characteristics of operating supervisors at nuclear plants that could help prevent future accidents from happening. Operating supervisors are the leaders that have the greatest impact on how safe the nuclear plant is operating. A mixed method approach was used, where the quantitative study surveyed 77 supervisors about their leadership style and how well they influence standards adherence, and the qualitative study interviewed 11 subordinates of supervisors to determine how supervision helps them follow …

Sales Professional Preservation: Examining The Impact Of Incongruent Ideological Belief Systems On Intentions To Quit Among Sales Professionals, Brian Lee Morgan

Dissertations

Organizations that lead with ideologies of moral tradition, politics, and social economics are playing a losing game. The ideological belief system congruence within the organization between leaders and members creates a better atmosphere with less turnover and better recruitment. Sales professionals want an environment free of ideological incongruence. Without ideological alignment, they will defect from the organization. Leaders are miscalculating the negative impact on members’ intentions to quit when they are faced with leaders acting upon ideology changes that affect the member-customer ecosystem. In addition, leaders should be aware of the personal attributes that can exacerbate turnover and work to …

Development And Structural Origin Of Stretchable Semiconducting Polymers And Composites, Yunfei Wang

Dissertations

Stretchable semiconductors are pivotal in advancing wearable and implantable electronics, with those boasting both high stretchability and self-healing capabilities being especially significant for a myriad of wearable applications. In this dissertation, we developed an extremely soft, highly stretchable, and self-healing elastomer based on H-bonding crosslinked amide-functionalized polyisobutylene (PIB-amide). When blended with a high-performance conjugated diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP-T) polymer, the composite exhibits unprecedented stretchability, exceptionally low elastic modulus, and an innate ability to self-heal at room temperature.

The morphology of conjugated polymer/elastomer semiconducting composites have significant impacts on electrical and mechanical properties Further investigations focused on manipulating the phase separation size in …

Reading Comprehension Interventions For Students With Autism, Mary Andrews

Dissertations

Research focused on reading comprehension interventions for students with autism is limited. Available research focuses primarily on the impact of single intervention methods, whether teacher-led or technology-based. Research on intervention methods paired with technology is limited. The researcher conducted a survey of 51 special education teachers to identify what interventions, whether teacher-led or technology-based, are most frequently and effectively utilized within the classroom, as well as what methods teachers prefer to utilize within the classroom. The researcher also interviewed a sample of 5 teachers and conducted a thematic analysis to identify factors that teachers identify as most important in teaching …

Localized Hermite Method Of Approximate Particular Solutions, Kwesi Acheampong

Dissertations

A localized Hermite method of approximate particular solutions (LHMAPS) is presented in this dissertation. This method is designed to improve the accuracy of the localized method of approximate particular solutions (LMAPS) for solving partial differential equations. LMAPS is a strong-form method that defines local radial basis function approximations to the solution values at a group of collocation points before applying the differential operator to this approximation function. Based on the LMAPS's local scheme, LHMAPS seeks Hermite-type local approximations based on both function values and derivatives. Numerical experiments validate the superior accuracy of the proposed method to the LMAPS by solving …

Elevating Commodity Polymers To Advanced Applications In Polymer Photonics And Polymer-Derived Porous Materials, Mark Robertson

Dissertations

Since the inception of synthetic polymers, polymer-derived materials have permeated into essentially all aspects of our daily lives. The most commonly thought of examples of polymer materials involve single-use, disposable products to increase shelf lives of perishable items, act as personal protective equipment, or provide some degree of convenience for the consumer. However, as we have furthered our understanding of polymer chemistry and polymer physics to develop increasingly sophisticated polymer systems, polymer materials have been employed in incredibly advanced applications. These include solid electrolytes for energy storage, matrices for aerospace grade carbon fiber-reinforced composites, membranes for liquid and gas separations, …

Development And Evaluation Of An Instrument For Exploring Achievement Emotions Of General Chemistry Students: General Chemistry Achievement Emotions Questionnaire, Alexander Graves

Dissertations

General Chemistry, a course that is required for many STEM degree programs, is often perceived as a difficult and stress-inducing course by students. One aspect of a student’s course experiences that can be measured are achievement emotions. Emotions that students can experience that can affect and are affected by academic performance are called achievement emotions. Achievement emotions, such as anxiety, have been extensively studied in recent years in relation to student performance and retention in different courses. Instruments that have been developed to measure achievement emotions in broad academic settings. However, achievement emotions have been determined to be domain-specific, meaning …

Breaking Boundaries: A Qualitative Exploration Of Scientific Motivation And Persistance From The Perspectives Of Arab Women Undergradute Students In Stem In The Us, Fadwa Hamad

Dissertations

There is a lack of information regarding the motivational experiences of Arab women undergraduate students in STEM fields in the US and the factors that contribute to their engagement and persistence in this field. This is because of their categorization as white on census documents, which renders them invisible. Research has shown that motivational beliefs are effective predictors of students' persistence especially for women from minority groups. Thus, it is important to understand the motivational experiences of Arab women students as part of the minority women in STEM in the US. Using an intersectionality framework, and a multi-component motivational model, …

“Freedom From Traditional Prejudice”: Lessons Of Educational Equity At A State Normal School In The American West, 1890-1929, Jamie Fogg

Dissertations

Despite accounting for a majority of college students in the United States, women fill a minority of professional leadership positions often associated with collegiate success. This suggests that educational access alone does not guarantee equitable societal outcomes after graduation, but rather remains shaped by a patriarchal social order. The purpose of this study is to understand the influence of educational experience on perceptions of social influence and opportunity by identifying the historical precedents for persistent issues of equity within higher education and potential solutions. This narrative case study is guided by three research questions: Q1 How did institutional curriculum, policies, …

Finding The Sound: A Study Of Nineteen Solos Of Larry Grenadier, Alex Todd Annan

Dissertations

Larry Grenadier is a jazz bassist of renown who has shared the stage with many greats of the jazz world. His most significant musical collaborator, pianist Brad Mehldau, released a series of albums in the latter half of the 1990’s known as The Art of The Trio recordings with five volumes that feature Grenadier on bass and Jorge Rossy on drums. Of the forty-five tracks across the five recordings, Grenadier takes nineteen solos that cover a wide range of styles. The purpose of this study is to create a large-scale project to better cement Larry Grenadier’s position within jazz scholarship …

A Pedagogical Approach To Cello Studies Influenced By The Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation, Romina Monsanto Colina

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to create visual and spatial cues for cello students to better learn the instrument through a notation system developed by the author. The research and notation are based on Noa Eshkol and Abraham Wachman's movement notation, which notates general body movement. The new movement notation, developed by the author, is directed to specific movements for cello players. Learning to play the cello by ear has been a primary pedagogical method. Students and professionals struggle to learn new music and techniques because they rely on hearing more than kinesthesia, the sense of movement. Musicians spend …

Enzyme-Enhanced Ecf Bleaching: Improving Pulp Bleachability And Reducing Its Environmental Footprint, Bingyao Zhou

Dissertations

Enzymes have emerged as effective biocatalysts and environmentally friendly agents in pulp bleaching processes. Despite their potential, the fundamental chemistry underlying enzyme action on pulp fibers during bleaching remains poorly understood, limiting their widespread industrial application. This dissertation aims to investigate how enzymes interact with the chemical components of pulp fibers and their impact on elemental chlorine-free (ECF) bleaching in terms of pulp brightness, chemical consumption, and AOX generation.

Enzymatic pretreatment prior to ECF bleaching sequences was conducted on hardwood and softwood kraft pulp. Xylanase pretreatment significantly reduced chlorine dioxide consumption and enhanced pulp brightness in hardwood kraft pulp. Optimal …

Impact Of Thermal-Hydric Stress Of Physiological Performance And Mating Behavior Of Fiddler Crabs, Talene G. Yeghissian

Dissertations

Fiddler crabs live on the edge of their thermal tolerance limits, balancing the need to thermoregulate with the need to mate. Previous research suggests that increased temperature reduces fiddler crab surface activity time, thus decreasing mating opportunities, throughout the range species with greatest impacts to low latitude populations. The less studied missed mating opportunities associated with behavioral compensation for thermal stress are crucial to understanding species vulnerability to climate change. In this dissertation, I describe a combination of experimental and observational approaches in the field and in the laboratory to investigate the physiological and behavioral responses of fiddler crabs to …

The Effects Of Ambient Light Intensity On Affordance Perception, Tyler Overstreet

Dissertations

Humans can reliably perceive whether a slanted ground surface can be stood on or not. In the present study we investigated how differences in ambient lighting conditions affected the perception of stand-on-ability. The study manipulated lighting conditions (photopic, mesopic, scotopic) under which participants made affordance judgements about the stand -on-ability of a presented ramp in a virtual reality environment. We hypothesized that less visual information would be available in the scotopic condition, which would result in changes to affordance boundaries and movement complexity, when measured from head sway and center of pressure. Results indicated that participants’ affordance judgements were more …

Exploring The Degrees Of Ableism Nursing Students With Disabilities Experience, Elizabeth Ruth Brox

Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020) estimated about 24% of adults in the United States live with a disability. However, the literature suggested only 4.4% of healthcare workers reported having a disability in the United States. Stigmatization and ableism have likely led to nurses hiding their disabilities while practicing, creating less diversity and representation in practice. When healthcare workers have little resemblance to the population they serve, it can lead to distrust, uncaring behaviors, and feelings of exclusion. Increasing diversity and helping to recognize the value of disability in practice could begin in nursing school. This study aimed …

Methods And Metacognition: Teaching An Historically And Culturally Responsive Holocaust Unit, Katie Sluiter

Dissertations

While at least forty-seven states have legislation around teaching the Holocaust and/or genocide to secondary students (grades 6-12), this curriculum is typically housed in the social studies departments of most districts; however, there are many English language arts teachers who either choose to teach Holocaust literature alongside their social studies counterparts, or create stand-alone Holocaust units around both informational texts and literature.

This study centers around the author’s own Holocaust unit taught to eighth-grade honors ELA students in an urban, Title I school district. The unit is used as an artifact to examine two aspects of a successful unit on …

Essays On The Effects Of Resource Wealth And Us Influence On Employment, Education And Export Structure, Lyndrison Garthfield Lincoln

Dissertations

Although several studies have sought to identify the determinants of export diversity and sophistication, few have examined the role of historical events in shaping or reshaping them. In my first chapter I use data on CIA interventions during the Cold War period. I show that such interventions had a negative impact on the range of goods exported by affected countries. I provide evidence that this effect persisted in the long run. In my second chapter, I study the local impact of trade union strength on employment during resource booms. I use unionization and coverage rates along with the presence of …

Delta-Shaped Approximation Based Homotopy Analysis Method For Nonlinear Poisson-Type Partial Differential Equations, Cyril Ocloo

Dissertations

This research aims to solve nonlinear Poisson-type partial differential equations (PDEs) by the approach of the homotopy analysis method (HAM) incorporated with approximate particular solutions (APS) using Delta-shaped basis (DSB) approximations.

With the inclusion of the h auxiliary parameters, we tackle nonlinear problems by studying the mathematical characteristics of the h curve. This is to ensure the numerical convergence of the HAM.

In the solution process, we use the homotopy analysis method to convert a nonlinear PDE into linear inhomogeneous PDEs, which are solved using the method of approximate particular solutions with DSB.

A proper value of the h is …

Medical Imaging Dataset Management Leveraging Deep Learning Frameworks In Breast Cancer Screening, Inchan Hwang

Dissertations

In the domain of Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CADx) for breast cancer diagnosis through mammography, prevailing models have traditionally been trained and validated using old film-based mammography. However, contemporary U.S. hospital practices involve the utilization of Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM), offering more detailed images captured at various angles than old film-scanned mammography. Despite this shift, the existing body of research predominantly focuses on old-film based datasets, the implications of FFDM for CADx systems have not been understood. This dissertation addresses the issues emerged from FFDM such as data augmentation between old film-based set and new FFDM whether they are more effective …

Perspectives Of An Automotive Technician And Automotive Technician Educator: An Autoethnography, Christopher E. Reynolds Sr.

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore automotive technician and automotive technician educator’s obstacles and expectations they faced during their educational and occupational endeavors. Constructivism and social constructivism were used as theoretical frameworks. Autoethnography was the selected qualitative research method. Using an interpretive process, several convergent topics were identified: education encouraging professional interests, professional obstacles, challenging normalcies, training and educating automotive technicians, the drive for professional certification, bridging the gap between industry and education, experience, patience, and exposure.

Several methods are recommended to help future automotive technicians and automotive technician educators overcome obstacles they might face, which include the …

Depression Screenings In Older Adult Primary Care Patients: A Pilot Study, Karissa A. Rodriguez

Dissertations

Depression is a profound problem among people of all ages, but it is especially prevalent in older adults aged 65 and older. Identification and diagnosis of depression are obtained through screenings.

This project aimed to increase the frequency of depression screenings at all primary care office visits and analyze the agreement between the depression screening tools, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) or the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), when assessing depression in older adult primary care patients ages 65 and older. Theoretical Framework: The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle is a problem-solving model used to create change and adapt to a project's needs. …

Exploring Students' Perceptions And Experiences Of Faculty Caring In The Undergraduate Classroom In A Traditional Baccalaureate Nursing Program: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Sheila M. Garilli

Dissertations

Academic nurse educators' use of caring attributes in the classroom could impact students' educational journey. Educators are leaders who should model caring behaviors toward their students. This role modeling will empower students to demonstrate these caring behaviors toward their patients. A literature review discovered a gap surrounding the study of faculty caring in the classroom. This research study explored students' perceptions and experiences of faculty caring in the undergraduate classroom in two traditional baccalaureate nursing programs. This study utilized a qualitative descriptive method with purposeful sampling and in-person recruitment at two universities in a Northeastern state in the United States. …

A Culturally Informed Mentorship Model For Historically Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Students, Lonnie P. Herring

Dissertations

Ethnic minority students pursuing advanced practice nursing degrees often face unique challenges that hinder their academic success and persistence, such as limited mentorship opportunities that address their cultural considerations. A lack of culturally informed mentorship (CIM) may contribute to feelings of isolation, lower self-efficacy, and reduced retention rates among ethnic minority advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students. Through cultural competency, CIM programs are emerging as a promising approach to address these challenges and support the needs of historically underrepresented ethnic minority (HUEM) students. The underrepresentation of HUEM APRN students in graduate nursing education and advanced nursing practice is a persistent …

Power And Control In Medicine And Nursing - Could Intrinsic Gender Beliefs Impact Interprofessional Education In Pre-Professional Programs?, Catherine Christine Delant

Dissertations

Examination of the power dynamics at work in perpetuating health care hierarchy-related interprofessional collaboration barriers is needed to rationally develop strategies for teaching collaborative skills to health care providers. A mixed-methods study employing critical realist grounded theory examined the implicit beliefs, assumptions and power hierarchies related to gendered perceptions of the professions of nursing and medicine by students of those professions.

How Does Vr Affect Motivation, Engagement, Performance And Student Interest In High School Science?, Ann Marie Carrier

Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of virtual reality (VR) on high school science students' motivation, engagement, performance, and interest in STEM disciplines. Building on Huang et al. (2021), this research replicates and extends their findings, focusing on how different levels of VR immersion influence learning outcomes. The study aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, 123 high school students experienced varying levels of immersive VR via the Titans of Space Plus app on Meta Quest 2 headsets and desktop computers. Study population included 55% males, 45% minorities, and …