Digital Commons Network^™

The Individualized Multidisciplinary Immediate Fall Response Program, Adenike Y. Awotundun

Dissertations

Falls are common in older residents in the United States. 800,000 falls occur yearly and one in three residents will fall again within a year (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2017). In Frey Village, approximately 25 falls occur monthly with 1.9% fall-injuries, annually. This project focused on the Individualized Multidisciplinary Immediate Fall Response Program (IMIFRP).

PICOT Question: In older adults in a long-term facility (P), does implementation of an individualized multidisciplinary immediate fall response program (I), improve fall care processes and reduce fall rates (O) within 2-months post-intervention (T), compared to 2-months preintervention (C)?

The Pivot To Online Learning: A Case Study Of Efl Student Teachers’ Learning Experiences And Perceptions In China, Jingxin Cheng

Dissertations

Teaching and learning online was extensively adopted in English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education program, as well in education of all levels in China with the advancement of the internet, multimedia information processing, cloud computing, and other information technologies since 1994. However, online education has remained more of a supplement to classroom education, and large-scale normal online education lacks cases and research in China. The COVID-19 pandemic caused profound change in higher education, with closures of campuses globally and migration of learning and teaching practices to online formats. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional teaching and learning activities, meanwhile, …

Work Engagement, Burnout, And Well-Being In Nursing Professional Development Practitioners, Marlene T. Porter

Dissertations

This article-based manuscript dissertation will follow a two-manuscript process. The two manuscripts are related to work engagement, burnout, and well-being in the nursing professional development (NPD) practitioner. The first completed manuscript is a literature review that examines personal resources that affect work engagement, uncovers strategies to improve work engagement, and discusses the implications for the NPD practitioner. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria for the literature review identifying self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, meaning, mattering, hardiness, and grit as personal resources influencing work engagement. Strategies identified to improve work engagement included policy development, implementing self-awareness programs, and providing resilience, strengths, and gratitude …

Immigration, Moral Panics, And Punishment: The Impact Of Media Coverage And Public Interest On Jail Incarceration, Faraneh Shamserad

Dissertations

Despite extensive empirical evidence showing that immigration does not lead to increases in crime, the purported immigration and crime link has been used to buttress increasingly punitive immigration policies over the past few decades. While previous studies have explored the role of enforcement practices for punishment, this dissertation delves into the mechanisms through which immigrants are transformed into “criminal subjects” and the consequences for punishment at the local level. By integrating moral panic theory with research on immigration, crime, and punishment, I propose that the inflammatory language surrounding immigration in media and public discourse has punitive consequences for immigrants. Moreover, …

Simulation In Interprofessional Education: A Case Study With Baccalaureate Nursing Faculty, Sherleena Ann Buchman

Dissertations

Nursing programs across the country are facing the challenge of providing students with optimal clinical skill learning experiences. Faculty members are rising to this challenge in a variety of ways, and current research in nursing education advocates the addition of interprofessional education to the nursing curriculum. History and governing bodies explain how nursing education can achieve this goal but faculty have to implement required and suggested changes. Further research is needed to gain insight into perceptions of the baccalaureate nursing faculty of interprofessional education and how the simulation in interprofessional experience contributes to overall patient safety. Patient safety is a …

Ennobling Each Other Through Collaborative Inquiry: Exploring Music As A Provocation For Leadership Development, Ihan Ip

Dissertations

Amid the challenges in a global village, leadership education needs to surpass traditional methods, nurturing creativity, flexibility, and adaptability. This study is a collaborative action inquiry that considers music as an arts-based method in service of leadership development. The study unfolded over five cycles, in which 14 coinquirers collaborated in a process of exploration. The study illuminates the strong potential of music as a provocation for leadership development and reveals crucial realizations in the area of facilitation in collective processes.

This dissertation tells the story of the inquiry with the voices of its coinquirers and offers insights on facilitation through …

Career Technical And Agricultural Education Teachers In Rural Schools: Perceptions Of Leadership Abilities, Professional Support, And Overall Job Satisfaction Following Participation In A Teacher Leadership Professional Learning Community, Tasia Ellis

Dissertations

Career Technical Education (CTE), including Career Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) in Georgia, are experiencing difficulty retaining quality teachers. This problem is exacerbated in rural communities, which have a smaller workforce pool and fewer nearby colleges to certify CTE/CTAE teachers (Morton, 2021). A potential solution to offset teacher retention concerns is teacher leadership. When teachers are given opportunities to take on leadership roles, they are likely to feel more valued and experience increased self-efficacy and perceptions of ability (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009). The purpose of this phenomenographic study was to examine whether a teacher leadership Professional Learning Community (PLC) enhanced teachers' …

Improving The Experience Of Culturally Diverse Nursing Students: A Qualitative Study, Miriam L. Griffin

Dissertations

Current literature reflects a need for an overall increase in the number of nurses and an increase in ethnic and racial diversity in the nursing profession. The lack of diversity is a global nursing concern, and nursing programs and educators are tasked with attempting to recruit, retain, and graduate culturally diverse students. The literature and research discuss the need for nursing programs and educators to design early intervention success programs and pre-nursing preparation that focus on critical factors that contribute to student success and assist with decreasing attrition rates. In this basic qualitative research study, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted …

Inclusive Education In Early Childhood: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of The Successes And Barriers Impacting Successful Early Childhood Inclusive Education, Cynthia Hartshorn

Dissertations

Purpose: This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore early childhood teacher experiences regarding the successes and barriers of implementing inclusive education with general education and special education students based on the three dimensions of Booth and Ainscow’s (2016) Index for Inclusion. This study sought to identify what preschool teachers perceive to be the greatest barriers to implementing inclusive education and the most effective strategies for overcoming these barriers. Finally, this study sought to identify the preservice and in-service experiences that teachers perceive as most effective in supporting the successful implementation of inclusive education.

Methodology: The study methodology was conducted using …

Enhancing Rotating Machinery Fault Diagnosis: A Dual-Head Attention Mechanism In Deep Learning Neural Networks, Qing Snyder

Dissertations

Rotating machinery is crucial to production efficiency and safety in manufacturing industries for an extended time. Ensuring machinery reliability necessitates effective diagnostic systems, particularly for rotating bearings, the key components of such equipment. Fault diagnosis in rotating machinery is essential to prevent failures and minimize downtime, thereby playing an important role in industrial operations. The application of advanced neural network techniques in industry has risen recently. Among these, attention-based neural networks, especially the Transformer models, are originally noteworthy for their sequential data handling capability. This research delves into attention-based algorithms for rotating machinery fault diagnosis, signifying a substantial advancement in …

Development Of Enzyme-Based Biotechnology For Removing Stickies And Regaining Fiber Quality In Paper Recycling, Yun Wang

Dissertations

Producing paper with recycled paper consumes about 30-70% less energy and emits less GHG than using virgin wood. However, with current recycling practices, more foreign matters are commingled with the recycled paper including hot-melt adhesives, food residues, inks, resins/sizing agents, and coating adhesives, which result in stickies issues in the paper remanufacturing process. On the other hand, recycled fibers inherently have lower quality due to mechanical treatment, heating, chemical processing, and aging in various types of application/use of paper products, limiting the production of high-quality paper grades from recycled fibers. The goal of this dissertation research is to address both …

New Alternative Methods Developed For The Measurement Of Active And Total Clay In Foundry Green Sands, Piao Jian Tan

Dissertations

Precise measurement of active clay content in molding sand is essential in the metal casting foundry to produce high quality end products with no defects. The historical methylene blue (MB) test was considered qualitative, subjective and prone to operator bias in regard to the reading of the halo. A new spectrophotometric or digital clay technique has been developed. The test utilizes the cation exchange capabilities of the Cu(II)-triethylenetetramine dye and the absorbance reading of the sequestered solution through a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Working with multiple laboratories (Decher, MTI, EJ, and JD) on actual foundry green sand samples, the method was optimized …

The Effects Of Combined Evaluative And Memo, Matrix, And Graphic Objective Feedback On Performance When Receiving Fixed Pay, Amber L. Derthick

Dissertations

The purpose of this current study was to examine the relative effectiveness of written feedback in the form of a memo that displays the performer’s current performance (memo feedback), written feedback in the form of a matrix that displays the performer’s current performance along with past performance (matrix feedback), and graphic feedback that displays the performer’s current performance along with past performance on a line graph (graphic feedback) when individuals receive fixed pay. The memo, matrix, and graphic feedback displayed “objective” feedback. Participants were 70 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. Participants attended a …

Pathways To Leadership In A Professional Association, Cheryl Lynn Endres

Dissertations

This purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to explore the experiences of former volunteer leaders who served in the role of president for a professional association. A qualitative design framed by phenomenology is appropriate when seeking to understand individual reflections on a common experience (Brinkmann, 2008, Patton, 2018, Creswell & Poth, 2018). The research was framed as exploratory due to the limited qualitative studies on leadership in professional associations, and more information to understand this experience can be gained by using the qualitative phenomenological method. The phenomenon of focus in this study is motivations related to volunteer leadership, in …

The Development Of Youth Voice In A Community-Based Social Action Program, César A. Briones Mendieta

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamics of youth voice development within the Great Lakes PeaceJam program, a community-based initiative aimed at engaging high school and college students in social action. This research builds upon scholarship that explores youth development in the context of community-based and social action programs. Situated within the overlapping fields of youth development, developmental psychology, and sociopolitical theory, these narratives frame youth voice as a normative process influenced by social interactions and cultural contexts and as a driving force in youth activism, civic engagement, and social action, highlighting the role of youth in …

Warrior Voices: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Experiences Of Men Living With Multiple Sclerosis, James Petropulos

Dissertations

This narrative inquiry delves into the lives of six men, including the researcher, who have multiple sclerosis (MS). Through in-depth interviews, the researcher asks participants to describe their life before diagnosis, the diagnosis process, and the construction of a “new normal” after diagnosis. This research provides insights into how participants make sense of the disease, how they cope with the ongoing changes to their bodies, their relationships, their careers, and their perceptions of their masculinity. Analyzing the narratives provides insight into the variability of MS types and symptoms, and various coping mechanisms. It supports the idea that each participant should …

An Evaluation Of The Equitable Practices For Stem Education To Prepare All Students For The 21st Century, Elizabeth Simpson

Dissertations

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, yet most education institutions do not provide STEM education for all students. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have been a special focus of both industry and federal education initiatives in recent years. STEM is a proven way of building student skills needed for the workforce of tomorrow. The purpose of this study is to determine why education decision-makers resist implementing STEM programs equitably for all students. The context of this inquiry is district and school-based leaders throughout the United States, from elementary to high school, who have …

A Case Study Of The Organizational System Of Articulation At A Midwestern Regional Public University, Katherine J. Giardello

Dissertations

Quantitative research has long shown lagging community college transfer student completion rates, in addition to excess credits earned and lengthened time-to-degree for transfer students that do earn a bachelor’s degree (Horn & Skomsvold, 2011; Jenkins & Fink, 2016; Simone, 2014; U.S. GAO, 2017). Scant qualitative studies exist related to student transfer, particularly the academic enterprise of articulation and the university perspective on transfer.

This qualitative study takes up the cause, using organizational and systems theories (Birnbaum, 1988; Clark, 1983; Cohen & March, 1974; Morgan, 2006; Senge, 1990; von Bertalanffy, 1972; Weick, 1976) to frame a single site case study with …

Working Logic Parameter Types And Philosophical Assumptions Of Selected Evaluation Approaches—A Descriptive Qualitative Analysis, Thomas J. Lyzenga

Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to enhance the selection and use of selected contemporary evaluation approaches through the development of a descriptive profile that combines the parameters of their working logics and their philosophical assumptions. The profile provides a unique structure to understand, identify, select, and apply evaluation approaches. I catalogued 86 evaluation approaches described in 13 sources that discuss multiple evaluation approaches and applied citation analysis to identify the most used or most quickly growing approaches. For 11 of the commonly used evaluation approaches, I identified the seven features of the feature profiles through a qualitative content analysis …

Mental Health Professionals' Perspectives On The Third Party When Treating Married Heterosexual Couples For Infidelity: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Suzanne M. Freid

Dissertations

No research seems to exist that focuses on how the nonexclusive spouse and the exclusive spouse discuss the third party in couple therapy for infidelity. Similarly, we know almost nothing about mental health professionals' perceptions of what the couple says and does, how the therapist responds to them, and what they perceive about the third party and their work with married, heterosexual couples. Eight licensed and experienced mental health professionals from the Austin, Texas community participated in this study grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings suggest that training programs fail to provide information and evidenced-based techniques for working with couples …

Valorization Of The Polymeric Constituents In Plastic Wastes Through Thermo-Chemical Processes By Using Viable Metal Oxides Additives, Labeeb Hamad Ali

Dissertations

The rapid accumulation of different types of plastic waste necessitates the development of effective and economically viable waste management operations. Such a process should ideally not only mitigate associated environmental burdens but also recycle and recover value-added products. Through incineration or pyrolysis, thermal processing has emerged as a mainstream approach to waste management of the ever-increasing loads of different categorized plastic wastes. Throughout the work of the thesis, we have utilized a multitude of complementary techniques spanning material characterizations, catalysis, kinetic modelling, and density functional theory (DFT) to comprehend the complex chemistry that underpins catalytic chemical recycling of plastic wastes. …

Enzymatic Production Of Cyclodextrin Using Cyclodextrin Glycosyltransferase Immobilized In Metal Organic Frameworks (Mofs), Babatunde Azeez Ogunbadejo

Dissertations

Cyclodextrins (CDs) and their derivatives have attracted significant attention in the pharmaceutical, food, and textile industries, which has led to an increased demand for their production. CDs are typically produced by the action of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) on starch. Owing to the relatively high cost of enzymes, the economic feasibility of the entire process strongly depends on the effective retention and recycling of CGTase in the reaction system, while maintaining the enzyme’s activity and stability. Previous supports used for this purpose such as silica and hydrogels, have numerous drawbacks, including enzyme leaching, activity loss and significant mass transfer limitations. The …

Enhancement Of Rainfall Prediction And Satellite Precipitation Estimates: A Machine Learning Approach For United Arab Emirates, Faisal Baig

Dissertations

The accurate estimation of rainfall in arid regions presents a significant challenge due to sparse ground observations and complex atmospheric dynamics. This dissertation investigates various aspects of rainfall estimation and prediction in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), employing Satellite Precipitation Products (SPPs) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The research is structured around four key articles, each addressing different facets of the overarching theme. The first publication examines rainfall variability, consistency, and concentration in the UAE by comparing satellite precipitation products with rain gauge observations, highlighting the discrepancies between the two data sources. The second publication evaluates the performance of precipitation …

Experimental Investigation Of Various Hydrogen Knock Limit Extension Strategies On A Hydrogen-Gasoline Dual Fuel Spark Ignition Engine, Sanad Thurakkal Puthan

Dissertations

Hydrogen is a clean and carbon free substitute with the ability to significantly cut down the harmful emissions while enhancing the energy efficiency of internal combustion engines (ICE) typically powered by conventional fossil fuels. Hydrogen is the most abundant elements which can be easily obtained from sources like water and biomass. The wide flammability range and high laminar flame velocity outstands hydrogen from other fuels. However, hydrogen fueled engines are more prone to abnormal combustion like knock and backfire due to its low ignition energy and high adiabatic flame temperature. To avoid backfire, several well developed approaches have been reported. …

Cybersecurity Education And Continuous Learning Towards Uae Ncsp Fulfilment, Saleh Hamad Aldaajeh

Dissertations

This dissertation delves into enhancing cybersecurity education by aligning academic curricula with national cybersecurity strategic plan (NCSP) objectives, emphasizing the crucial role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in developing a skilled cybersecurity workforce. Analyzing ten NCSPs, it identifies strategic themes and gaps between national goals and HEI offerings. The study reviews NCSP guidelines, international cybersecurity indices, and literature, including the NICE-NIST framework, to develop a framework that bridges the educational gap, improving learning outcomes and arming students with vital skills, knowledge, and competencies. Furthermore, it introduces a platform for continuous cybersecurity learning, employing micro-credentials, blockchain technology, and AI-driven systems. Based …

An Intelligent Framework Towards Fully Autonomous Driving Fueled By Smart Roads, Muhammad Jalal Khan

Dissertations

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are transforming next-generation autonomous mobility. These vehicles promise to increase road safety, improve traffic efficiency, reduce vehicle emissions, and enhance overall mobility. They achieve higher levels of Autonomous Driving (AD) by integrating sensors, communication technologies, computation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Apart from these advancements, significant gaps remain in integrating heterogeneous technologies and disciplines essential for optimizing AD. Therefore, the current solution approaches lack the capability to exploit intelligent road infrastructures and effectively orchestrate perceptual services for complex driving scenarios. The main objective of this dissertation is to address these challenges by proposing a novel end-to-end intelligent framework …

How Transformational Leadership Improves Instructional Practices: The Mediating Role Of Teachers’ Change-Oriented Organizational Citizenship And Appreciation, Mariam Mohamed Alhammadi

Dissertations

Enhancing educational outcomes in the education system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hinges on improving teaching and learning practices. This study investigates the influence of transformational leadership approaches on instructional practices within science classrooms while examining the potential mediating effects of enhanced change-oriented organizational citizenship behaviors and heightened organizational appreciation, in the cultural context of the UAE public school system. Data are gathered from 297 teachers in UAE government schools through survey instruments featuring modified existing organizational context scales and scales inspired by the PISA, 2015 cycle’s teacher and student questionnaires. The collected data are analyzed using SmartPLS software …

Synthesis And Structure-Property Relationships Of Sustainable Nanostructured Materials Towards Energy And Environment Applications, Nizamudeen Cherupurakal

Dissertations

This doctoral research aims to advance clean energy technologies by developing specialized nanostructured materials. The study covers significant research themes, each forming separate sections in the thesis, explaining the important role of nanostructures in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of energy devices and photocatalytic technologies.

The enduring effort toward stabilizing and improving the efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) has stirred the solar research community to follow innovative approaches. The primary objective of the research is centered on electrode materials design, which improves photoanodes' Light-Harvesting Efficiency (LHE). To improve the Photoanode of DSSCs, a Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) derived porous photoanodes …

Transforming Fermentation Residues From Date Fruit Pomace For The Synthesis Of Bioadsorbent Material In An Integrated Biorefinery Framework, Sabeera Haris

Dissertations

In the pursuit of enhanced waste management solutions, this comprehensive research delves into the untapped potential of Date Fruit Pomace (DFP), an abundant byproduct from the date syrup industry that is currently underutilized, leading to environmental concerns. The study emphasizes the need for proper waste management and valorization strategies to mitigate the environmental impact of DFP and promote sustainability within the date processing industry. The initial phase involves characterizing DFP from Emirati varieties, highlighting its compositional and functional properties. The analysis reveals that DFP is rich in total dietary fiber (45.5%), residual sugars (35.3%), protein (10.6%), ash (4.1%), and fat …

Formate Dehydrogenase Immobilized On Metal Organic Framework For Enhanced Conversion Of Co2 To Formate, Shadeera Rouf

Dissertations

Enzymatic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to formate by formate dehydrogenase (FDH) is a promising technology for reducing CO₂ concentrations in an environmentally friendly manner. For practical and economical implementation of the process, however, enhanced reusability of the enzyme is essential, which requires easy separation from the reaction mixture, coupled with sustained stability. One way to achieve this is by using the enzyme in an immobilized form. In this work, the effectiveness of using different metal organic frameworks (MOFs) as promising alternative supports for FDH immobilization has been assessed. A highly stable zirconium-based MOF, UiO66 and its …