Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Impact Of A Pre-High-Fidelity Simulation Orientation On Associate Degree Nursing (Adn) Students' Simulation-Related Anxiousness, Diana C. Galvez

Dissertations

High-fidelity simulation has been utilized in healthcare education for many years. This modality allows students to comprehend complex concepts and be able to create meaningful links between nursing, medical diagnosis, and concepts learned in the classroom. Nursing students that are exposed to a simulation experience that produces stress, anxiousness, and fear can demonstrate a decrease in learning, level of retaining information, self-efficacy, competence, academic performance, learner proficiency, learner confidence, as well as anxiety and frustration when acclimating to new simulation environment. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of a pre-high-fidelity simulation orientation session on Associate Degree …

Personal Power Tactics African American Female Superintendents Employ To Overcome Four Identified Self-Sabotaging Behaviors, Angela Brantley

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-method study was to identify and describe personal power tactics that African American female superintendents employ to overcome the four identified self-sabotaging behaviors from the Self Sabotaging Framework adapted from Lerner (2012), Ryder and Briles (2003).

Methodology: This study identified and described the lived experiences of seven female African American superintendents across the United States. This research design encompassed a sequential data collection method using an electronic survey instrument, followed by one-on-one interviews. Based on the quantitative and qualitative data, the researcher was able to triangulate data using the trends, categories, and patterns …

The Contribution Of Mindfulness Practice To Supporting Children And Their Families’ Challenges Among School Social Workers: A Qualitative Multicase Study Of School Social Workers In California, Catalina Andrade

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to describe the challenges school social workers experience when supporting students and their families in their schools. Additionally, the purpose of this study was to understand how school social workers use mindfulness practices to help them respond to the challenges of working with the students and their families in their school based on Lesser’s mindfulness model (2019): love the work, do the work, don’t be an expert, connect to your pain, connect to the pain of others, depend on others, and keep making it simpler. Methodology: In this multicase study, the …

The Effect Of The Heart Failure Nurse Navigator On 30-Day Hospital Readmissions Of Older Adults, Mary Ann Leavitt

Dissertations

Across the US, 22% of Medicare patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF) will be readmitted within 30-days of discharge. There is no one cost-effective process identified to help patients transition home and maintain their own selfcare. The aim of this study is to compare readmission rates, HF knowledge, self-care, and quality of life for patients who transition home from the hospital under the care of a Heart Failure Nurse Navigator (HFNN) with patients who receive usual care.

The HFNN is a home health RN with specialized training in HF care. The HFNN visited intervention group (IG) participants …

Use Of Outcome-Present State Test Model Of Clinical Reasoning With Filipino Nursing Students, Susy A. Jael

Dissertations

Clinical reasoning is a nursing competency necessary to make the best decision to deliver safe and effective care. A review of the literature shows a link between hazardous errors in patient care and poor clinical reasoning among nurses, and suggests that more study be given to best way to teach clinical reasoning. It is crucial that nurses today and of the future possess the clinical reasoning skills to provide increasingly complex patient care. This study tested the effect of the Outcome-Present State Test (OPT) Model of Clinical Reasoning on Filipino junior nursing students' clinical reasoning scores on the Health Sciences …

‘No Coward Soul Is Mine’: A Critical Edition Of Select Works By Ina Boyle (1889–1967) - Volume Ii, Emma C. O'Keeffe

Dissertations

The primary aim of this project is to produce an authoritative critical edition of five works by Ina Boyle composed between 1913 and 1958, through the medium of digitally typeset scores, these include: Elegy (1913) for cello solo and orchestra, Psalm (1927) for cello solo and orchestra, the Virgilian Suite (1930–31), a ballet suite for dancers and orchestra, Lament for Bion (1944–45) for tenor solo and string quartet, and Three Ancient Irish Poems (1958) for soprano solo, viola and harp.

No Coward Soul Is Mine’: A Critical Edition Of Select Works By Ina Boyle (1889 - 1967) - Volume I, Emma C. O'Keeffe

Dissertations

The primary aim of this project is to produce an authoritative critical edition of five works by Ina Boyle composed between 1913 and 1958, through the medium of digitally typeset scores, these include: Elegy (1913) for cello solo and orchestra, Psalm (1927) for cello solo and orchestra, the Virgilian Suite (1930–31), a ballet suite for dancers and orchestra, Lament for Bion (1944–45) for tenor solo and string quartet, and Three Ancient Irish Poems (1958) for soprano solo, viola and harp.

Effective Risk-Based Decision Making In Quality Risk Management, Valerie Mulholland

Dissertations

Patients expect safe, effective, high-quality medicines that are available when needed. Meeting these expectations is increasingly challenging in a global pharmaceutical supply chain, as evidenced by persistent product quality and supply issues. A key contributory factor to these issues is disruptions in manufacturing operations, which in turn are often caused by a hesitancy to change and to continuously improve approved processes. Regulatory agencies repeatedly indicate that they will consider increased autonomy for post-approval changes, if pharmaceutical manufacturing operations can demonstrate the effectiveness of Quality Risk Management (QRM) within the Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS). Thus, the question was posed by Dr …

Twenty First Century Principal Leadership, Shannon R. Goodacre

Dissertations

With the shifts and newly evolving complexities of the 21st century, the significance of what is needed from a successful school principal has reached a critical point. Today, one of the most vital roles of an effective principal is to, "Create a climate hospitable to education so that safety, a cooperative spirit, and other foundations of fruitful interactions prevail" (Foundation, 2013, p. 6). Therefore, the present study, using a constructivist research approach to conduct a phenomenological study, strove to understand a phenomenon, in this case, the phenomenon of leadership as it is practiced by high school principals (Adom, 2016). This …

Up For The Challenge? A Phenomenology Of Secondary English Teachers' Text Selection Experiences, Selene S. Mcalister

Dissertations

This study sought to describe secondary English teachers’ experiences with text selection. Its first aim was to determine how secondary English teachers perceive the use of young adult literature (YAL) with adolescent students. The study also details factors that influenced teachers’ text selections. Finally, the study describes how teachers’ perceptions of administrative support influenced their self-efficacy.

The study was conducted using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), a qualitative research method that employs in-depth, semi-structured interviews to develop descriptions of participants’ experiences. Participants included six secondary English teachers from a school district in the southeast United States. Teachers completed a survey about …

What Matters Most: A Phenomenological Study On The Experiences Of Engagement And Inclusion Of Online Part-Time Faculty In Christian Higher Education, Eleisha Garland

Dissertations

Higher education institutions significantly rely on part-time faculty members to meet course demands. The growth of part-time faculty has grown over 250% since the 1970s. Part-time faculty are now seen as the majority over tenured and tenure-track faculty. Due to the changes in higher education and the crucial role online part-time faculty play in higher education institutions, online bachelor-level program deans must learn to support and engage these faculty members more effectively. The leadership problem identified for this study is that online bachelor-level program deans are being challenged to deliver the support needed to online part-time faculty members to ensure …

Evaluating The Susceptibility Of The Lew.1wr1 Rat To Glucose Intolerance, Insulin Resistance, And Masld : Is Fat10 The Key?, Quiana Claudette Wilkerson Vidal

Dissertations

Obesity is an epidemic that affects over 40% of adults in America. Obesity can be divided into metabolically healthy and metabolically unhealthy obesity, with the latter being characterized by symptoms closely associated with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). What causes the transition from metabolically healthy to metabolically unhealthy obesity is not fully known. Further, it is unclear how this transition correlates with the onset of co-morbid conditions. We propose that Ubiquitin D (FAT10) may play a role in transitioning into a metabolically unhealthy state in response to obesity. This dissertation evaluated two main …

Charting New Paths: Exploring The Influence Of Followership Perspectives On Millennial Career Behaviors In The Changing University Workplace, Kimberly M. Stapleton

Dissertations

This dissertation will explore the attributes and application of the Reversing the Lens Approach (Shamir, 2007) to followership and its influence on career advancement strategies for millennials working at universities. The research will assess millennials as being born between 1980 and 1995 and currently working at universities in the southeast United States. This is a phenomenological study with an exploratory qualitative research design that seeks to uncover and understand to what extent millennials' roles as followers and their interactions with their leaders influence their career advancement strategies and what, if any, are the implications for their current institutions and higher …

A Quantitative Study Of Perceived Factors That Influence Enrollment Within A Regional Conference Seventh-Day Adventist School System, John Calvin Alberty Jr.

Dissertations

Problem

A significant challenge confronting Seventh-day Adventist schools is declining enrollment, with schools in the North America Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church either closing or experiencing a substantial reduction in enrollment over the years. The purpose of this study is to identify the perceived factors influencing enrollment within the Allegheny East Conference school system, ultimately explaining the enrollment shift from 1277 students to 635 students over a twenty-year period within the Allegheny East Conference school system. The study also determined if there are significant differences in perceptions of the importance of these observed enrollment-related factors among participants who hold …

Pastoral Leadership Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Sub-Saharan Africa And Congregational Giving During 2020-2021: A Grounded Theory Study, Eric Jean-Bruno Aniel Barbe

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model that describes how the behavioral strategies of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) pastors in Sub-Saharan Africa may have positively influenced congregational giving during the years 2020-2021 of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

A qualitative grounded theory research design was used (Corbin & Strauss, 2015). In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from a purposive sample of SDA pastoral leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa. The collected data were analyzed using an iterative process consisting of open, axial, and selective coding, thereby facilitating the construction of subcategories and a core category. This analytical process …

The Processes, Events And Characteristics Associated With The Leadership Emergence Of New Believers In The Contemporary Movement Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In The United States, Cleveland Hobdy Iii

Dissertations

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is confronting an unsettling reality in the 21st century. A considerable body of literature has highlighted an escalating attrition rate, with the 'Ministry journal reporting in April 2019 that almost 50% of new converts eventually abandon their commitment (Thomas, 2019). Other data collected by the World Church through its Office of Research include statistics and archive information that confirm the losses (Knott, 2016; Trimm, 2023). After all the baptisms, membership transfers, professions of faith, and accessions, the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church is netting one new member per church per year. Since 1965, roughly 4 out …

Odd Fellows: The Intersection Of Arminianism And Calvinism In The Writings Of Desmond Ford And F.F. Bruce, Samuel Pagán De Jesus

Dissertations

The Topic

In the 1970s, the Seventh-day Adventist church’s theological struggles over righteousness by faith and perfectionism revealed that Adventists were confused about their Protestant identity and what it meant to have the assurance of salvation. That struggle is exemplified in Desmond Ford’s writings. His doctoral studies under evangelical scholar F. F. Bruce prompted the Historic Adventists to wonder whether Ford had abandoned the Arminian synergistic soteriology for Calvinism’s monergism.

The Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore to what extent Frederick F. Bruce’s Reformed views, theological assumptions, and commitments were shared by and reflected in Desmond Ford’s …

Reporting And Addressing Sexual Harassment At Four Institutions Of Higher Learning In Zambia: A Quantitative Study Of Related Attitudes And Perceptions, Earlymay Chibende

Dissertations

Problem

Sexual harassment is a social ill that exists across nations, socio-economic backgrounds, races, nationality, ethnicity, age groups, and sex. Although both male and female members of society experience sexual harassment, research shows that a greater percentage of sexual harassment victims are women (Whitley & Page, 2015; CharterJee, 2018). A comparison of the prevalence of sexual harassment at workplaces and educational institutions shows that sexual harassment is more widespread at institutions of learning than at workplaces. Research on the prevalence of attitudes and or perceptions toward sexual harassment in institutions of higher learning shows that between 10%- 68% of female …

Odd Fellows: The Intersection Of Arminianism And Calvinism In The Writings Of Desmond Ford And F.F. Bruce, Samuel Pagán De Jesus

Dissertations

The Topic

In the 1970s, the Seventh-day Adventist church’s theological struggles over righteousness by faith and perfectionism revealed that Adventists were confused about their Protestant identity and what it meant to have the assurance of salvation. That struggle is exemplified in Desmond Ford’s writings. His doctoral studies under evangelical scholar F. F. Bruce prompted the Historic Adventists to wonder whether Ford had abandoned the Arminian synergistic soteriology for Calvinism’s monergism.

The Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore to what extent Frederick F. Bruce’s Reformed views, theological assumptions, and commitments were shared by and reflected in Desmond Ford’s …

Development Of Methods To Quantify The Affective Response To Food Product Consumption Based On Kansei Engineering And Their Application In New Product Development, Dietmar Weiss

Dissertations

Consumer research, crucial to the success of new products, relies traditionally on rational judgements and opinions, which may not reflect the real reasons for consumer choice. The goal of this research was to apply and further develop the concepts of Kansei engineering to quantify an emotional response to product use. In addition to the application of the traditional Kansei engineering methods, three innovations were introduced. Firstly, the use of images instead of words to define the emotional space and further limit the interference of cognitive processes in the outcome. Secondly, the application of orthogonal arrays in product designs. Thirdly, the …

Enabling Outer Planet Exploration : Performance And Feasibility Of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion For Rendezvous Missions, Saroj Kumar

Dissertations

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) provides the compelling alternative between the chemical and electric propulsion systems for outer planet robotic missions. High-thrust and high-specific impulse (over twice the best chemical propulsion engine) NTP systems can enable outer planet missions that have been limited due to the large ΔV requirements. This dissertation identifies an enabling mission architecture and NTP engine thrust class for rendezvous missions to the Gas giant and Ice giant systems. The work presented in the dissertation demonstrates the performance impact of the NTP system and its feasibility for robotic missions using a systems engineering model driven by the model …

Microstructure Control Through The Use Of Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Based Additive Manufacturing, Benjamin M. Beeker

Dissertations

Additively manufactured (AM) parts are subjected to rapid and repeated localized melting, solidification, and reheating, which produces a heterogeneous microstructure. To homogenize the resulting heterogeneous microstructure that results from this non-equilibrium thermal cycling, ex-situ heat treatments can be used. However, this is intended to provide homogenous properties to the printed part, thereby not realizing one of the potential benefits of AM in providing site-specific properties such as fatigue resistance, wear resistance or high strength. This study explores the use of in-situ heat treatments to spatially control microstructure evolution, thereby controlling the location of specific mechanical properties. To guide the processing …

Design, Modeling, And Experimental Realization Of Tunable Fabry-Perot Nanocavities For Broadband And Narrow-Band Applications, Kirtankumar Pravin Dixit

Dissertations

Efficient control of light absorption at the nanoscale has become a popular area of research, leveraging metal, semiconductor, and dielectric thin film technologies to engineer multilayer structures that modulate light through interference. A Fabry-Perot nanocavity can be configured with a dielectric or semiconductor layer sandwiched between two metal layers to exploit interference. This necessarily involves multiple optical paths through a spacer medium. The ensemble structures can be configured for anti-reflection, high-reflection, and dichroism. This dissertation is structured around four main objectives, each aimed at demonstrating the advanced capabilities of these nanocavities in manipulating light. The goals specifically focus on showcasing …

A Computational Investigation Of Firebrand Dispersion And Deposition In Areas With Cubic Structures, Aditya Prakash Mankame

Dissertations

The spread of wildland and wildland urban interface (WUI) fires can be caused by spotting, where embers from a primary fire ignite spot fires. This study investigates the dispersion and deposition of firebrands over cubic structures in WUI regions under wind condition. Large eddy simulation was used for turbulence while tracing firebrands in Lagrangian framework, employing the open source software Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The software program was revised to include a firebrand model where the rotational motion and thermal degradation of firebrands were taken into account in addition to the translation motion. This was used for simulation of cylindrical. …

Liner Implosion Of Magneto-Inertial Fusion Plasmas Across The Periodic Table, Brian Dale Taylor

Dissertations

The goal of achieving net energy production from fusion reactions would have many positive and transformational impacts upon society and is therefore of great interest. Magneto-Inertial Fusion may be a path to achieving the high energy density requirements. One possible method for reaching the necessary plasma conditions is through a z-pinch driving a magnetized liner to compress and heat the fusion fuel. Progress has been made through both modeling and experiment, largely through Sandia National Laboratories, in recent years in developing this process and achieving neutron yields in the range of 1013 neutrons per pulse. Magnetized liner z-pinch experiments have …

Unveiling The Mechanisms Of Bromate Formation And Nom Treatment In Drinking Water Via Plasmon-Enhanced Catalytic Ozonation, Amir Ahmadi Zahrani

Dissertations

High energy consumption and the formation of harmful byproducts are significant challenges in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). While much research has focused on improving treatment efficiency, controlling byproduct formation requires more attention. The focus of this dissertation is divided into three main focuses: Firstly, the underlying mechanism of bromate formation inhibition during a plasmon-enhanced catalytic ozonation (PE catalytic ozonation) process using silver-doped spinel ferrite (0.5wt%Ag/MnFe2O4) as the catalyst was investigated by scrutinizing the effects of each factors involved in PE catalytic ozonation including irradiation, catalyst, and ozone, both individually and in combination, on major bromine species involved in bromate formation. …

Understanding Battery Degradation And Failure With Impedance And Imaging Techniques, Megan F. Gober

Dissertations

With the increasing desire for fast charging capabilities in lithium-ion batteries due to the popularity of electric vehicles, research has recently been focused on increasing energy and power density while simultaneously revealing the need for improved understanding of degradation mechanisms to achieve the desired safety and fast charge performance. The work presented seeks to further understanding of mechanical, temperature, and electrochemical degradation mechanisms within varying battery chemistries and geometries through evaluation of impedance response and multiscale imaging techniques. First, in order to understand the limitations of mechanical and electrical integrity of battery systems, a combined application of impedance characterization and …

Simulation Of Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharges At Low Driving Frequencies, Shanti K. Thagunna

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the self-pulsing of Dielectric Barrier Discharges (DBDs) at low driving frequencies, in particular, (a) the dependence of current on the product pd of gas pressure p and the gas gap length d, (b) the effects of lossy dielectrics (in resistive discharges) and large dielectric permittivity (in ferroelectrics) on current dynamics, (c) the transition from Townsend to a dynamic Capacitively Coupled Plasma (CCP) discharge with changing pd values, and (d) the transition from Townsend to a high-frequency CCP regime with increasing the driving frequency. A one-dimensional fluid model of Argon plasma is coupled to an equivalent RC circuit …

Mitigation Of Inflammation In Early Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Through Low-Intensity Ultrasound, Shahid Khan

Dissertations

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), a subset of OA caused by direct injury or repetitive microtrauma, results in a robust release of inflammatory mediators. If inadequately controlled, this pro-inflammatory phase leads to early tissue damage. The biomedical burden of PTOA is significant and inadequately addressed due to difficulties in identifying the disease onset, slow progression, and incomplete understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis. However, PTOA's distinct initiating events allow for early intervention. This thesis investigates whether fibronectin fragments (FnFs) can induce an early inflammatory response in a triple cellular in vitro model of early PTOA and whether continuous low-intensity ultrasound (cLIUS) can …

Nuclear Fission Rovers For Martian Exploration, Alexander Constantine Bendoyro

Dissertations

A comprehensive analysis was performed on the impact of embedding a Kilopower-style fission reactor into a pressurized rover on architectural performance for a sample lunar, Mars opposition, and Mars conjunction mission. The high gamma ray flux necessitated the addition of substantial shielding for the crew. A single material shielding analysis using the Taylor formulation revealed that varying the distance between the crew and the reactor core from 3 m to 6 m reduced the required shielding thickness by 7%. Increasing the power output of the reactor from 3.4 kWe (comparable to radioisotope power capability) up to 10 kWe (Kilopower design …