Digital Commons Network^™

Study Of Sustainable Development In Paper, Printing And Packaging Material Applications To Support Circular Economy, Prashant Ramesh Kotkar

Dissertations

To support circular economy and sustainability, the use of suitable material in paper, printing, and packaging industries, for several types of industrial printing material and printed product applications, plays a significant role for end user applications. Several types of packaging printing materials, specifically those finished with different printing technologies and exposed to different environmental conditions are targeted.

The purpose of this research study is to improve design and evaluation for paper, printing, and packaging material sustainability in end-user applications, to deal with the addressed sustainability issues brought by the paper, printing and packaging products end user groups. As the impacts …

Crafting A Different Kind Of Story: Experiences Of Creative Writers Leading In Higher Education, Meredith L. Dodson

Dissertations

Connections between creativity and leadership often focus on how fostering creativity can help an organization. Despite the value that creativity can bring to organizations, Mueller et al. (2011) found that creative people themselves are not seen as leadership material. Yet many people with creative backgrounds do take on leadership roles, particularly in higher education.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of higher education leaders who have a background in creative writing and how those leaders perceive the interaction of the leadership role with their creative experience. The sample included 12 mid-level leaders in higher education who had an MFA or …

Developing Distributed Real-Time Hybrid Simulation For Dynamic Response Evaluation Of Floating Wind Turbine, Hezha Lutfalla Sadraddin

Dissertations

Floating wind turbine (FWT) has a significant role in producing clean and sustainable energy in unlimited spaces with more steady wind and less cost. The design, construction, and safe operation of FWTs require a deep understanding of their dynamic responses under combined aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads. Conventional FWT model experiments utilize wave tanks and wind tunnels. However, laboratory size and capacity and the scaling conflicts between the Froude and the Reynold numbers in these coupled wind-wave loading tests impose challenges to replicate dynamic responses of FWT. Alternatively, real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS), which combines numerical simulation and physical experiment of FWT …

The Impact Of Intervention Programs For Teenagers At Risk Among Middle And High School Students In Southeast Missouri, Bryan Austin

Dissertations

At-risk students have been noted to be exposed to high cases of early school dropout, late graduation, poor academic performance, and engagement in risky behaviors, such as drug and substance abuse. While research has reported poor transition to future careers and adult life among at-risk students, little is known regarding intervention programs used in Missouri schools to motivate at-risk students. The objective of this study was to investigate intervention programs being used to retain and engage at-risk middle and high school teenagers in Missouri and identify effective intervention programs that might help promote their success in school and subsequent transition …

Identifying Motivations Of New Counselors For Continuing Professional Development Of Multicultural Competencies: A Qualitative Study, Larry English

Dissertations

The need to increase multicultural counseling skills is a crucial area of focus in the continued evolution of the counseling profession. This necessity is due to a number of factors, including the ongoing demographic and societal changes in the United States. The research has helped to bring awareness of the need for increased and continued professional development in the area of cultural literacy and multicultural competencies skills for beginning counselors and others in counseling-related programs. At the micro level, the research investigated new clinicians’ self-awareness of their own biases, assumptions, internalized/externalized actions, and beliefs toward other cultures. The purpose of …

Faith-Based Counseling Versus Traditional Psychotherapy: A Phenomenological Evaluation Of African American Protestant Experiences, Shannon Gray

Dissertations

This phenomenological study was designed to evaluate the experiences of African American Christian adult clients within traditional psychotherapy and faith-based counseling settings. Research has shown various therapist/counselor identities affect Christian African American clients, and that Christians as well as African Americans have historically been less likely to pursue traditional psychotherapy for a variety of reasons. Participants were six African American Christian adult participants (three traditional psychotherapy participants and three faith-based counseling participants). All participants were asked open-ended questions about their experiences in traditional psychotherapy or faith-based counseling. In addition, they were asked to evaluate several aspects of their therapy/counseling experience …

Prenatal Opioid Use And Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Review Of The Neurophysiological, Neuropsychological, And Behavioral/Emotional/Social Impacts In The Pediatric Population, Candice Gore

Dissertations

The opioid epidemic over the past two decades has raised concerns regarding the developmental fetal impact of prenatal opioid use. Research in this area continues to grow, but largely has focused on treatment for neonates experiencing withdrawal symptoms postnatally. Long term clinical implications for this at-risk population have not been studied extensively leaving many gaps in research and highlighting the need for future empirical studies. This literature review will examine the neurophysiological, neuropsychological, and the behavioral/social/emotional impacts on infants, toddlers, and school aged children who were prenatally exposed to opioids with or without the diagnosis of neonatal abstinence syndrome. Providing …

Building On The Lasting Benefits Of Attending A Voluntary Prekindergarten Program, Ashley Swickle

Dissertations

The expectations of kindergarten students have drastically changed over the years. Kindergarten students who have not attended a voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) program may be at a disadvantage in behavior and academics. The purpose of this study is to show the benefits of a VPK program. My study includes kindergarten students at the school under study whose progress monitoring scores in the beginning of the year are compared to student’s scores who have never attended a VPK program, the amount of behavior referrals is also compared. The anticipated results are that kindergarten students who attended VPK will out-perform their peers who …

Lifestyle Choices Related To Food Consumption And Their Relationship To Depression, Steven L. Jennings Jr.

Dissertations

Dieting, or the act of restricting oneself to small amounts or particular kinds of foods on the basis of health, spirituality, lifestyle, and moral decisions, is a practice that dates to 1066 A.D. However, with social media being as influential as it is, one might believe dieting is a new obsession or at least an obsession to which popular culture is returning. Despite this, it is only in recent years that researchers have begun to focus on the health benefits of such behaviors. The present study was designed to take this focus a step further by exploring the potential risks …

Mission Possible: Collaborative Practice Promoting Student Success, Danita Smith

Dissertations

Educators working with underserved populations of students seek strategies that promote student engagement and success. Relationship-focused, collaborative practices can provide a framework to promote student success. In this study, I evaluated the program Individualized Student Success Plans used in five charter high schools whose focus was working with underserved students. I surveyed and interviewed administrators, teachers, and support personnel about the implementation practices of the program. This research study yielded recommendations for the effective implementation of a schoolwide initiative to promote active student engagement through positive adult-to-student mentorship.

Investigating The Prevalence Of Social Anxiety In Lgb College Students, Brianna Barnes-Harrington

Dissertations

This project examined the gap in the literature on LGB college students and social anxiety. The dearth of information around the prevalence and impact of social anxiety on the college population and the LGB population is important because social anxiety is known to be prevalent and chronic, affecting all areas of an individual’s life, but especially impacting the creation of social support networks and therefore access to social supports. Social support is one of the primary protective factors and promoters of resilience among all people, especially in marginalized communities like the LGBTQ community. Knowing that such a prevalent disorder is …

A Dialogical Approach To Peer Coaching For Asset Pedagogies, Elisabeth Van Beek

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how dialogical peer coaching using an asset pedagogical framework supported the development of culturally sustaining pedagogy (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Paris & Alim, 2017). This action research study followed one teacher and eight emergent bilingual students during an intervention. The intervention consisted of asset projects developed from the funds of identity framework (Esteban-Guitart, 2016). The peer coaching process consisted of a period of observation followed by repeated co-planning, coteaching, and reflection. The researcher took a dialogical stance on creating asset projects with the students as well as peer coaching with the teacher …

The Graduate Record Examination And Graduate Admissions: Issues In Diversity, Lauren Rankin

Dissertations

Doctoral education is an expensive and difficult endeavor. Program faculty are interested in finding students who will be successful in completing their courses and obtaining employment. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is often used to assess a student’s readiness for the rigors of graduate education. A student’s readiness for doctoral education can be assessed through analyzing the predictive validity of the GRE with various outcomes such as grade point average, scholarly output, and time to completion. However, this measure may not predict success for all students with potential bias towards students who are international and linguistically diverse. A total of …

Educational Experiences That Influence The Upward Mobility Of Maya Women In Belize, Jennine Pettit

Dissertations

This qualitative, multicase study explored the relationship between the educative experiences that allowed some Maya women in Belize to overcome economic and cultural barriers and change the trajectory of their lives. Many Maya girls face indigeneity, rurality, and gender discrimination (Vásquez, 2017), and obtaining a meaningful education was very difficult. The overall question for this study asked how exceptional Maya women perceived the relationship between their educational experiences and their ability to achieve advancement in society? This study also addressed the following sub-questions: How do Maya women describe their journey toward success? What institutional, cultural, or economic obstacles confront Maya …

Exploring Clinical Supervisors’ Experiences With Indirect Exposure To Trauma, Maya Kirsten Schmidt

Dissertations

In the United States, community-based victim services agencies commonly offer therapy services to survivors of interpersonal violence (Globokar et al., 2019; James & Eyjolfson, 2020; Langton, 2011). For mental health counselors and therapists working in victim services agencies and/or with survivors of interpersonal violence, indirect trauma is a known risk (Baird & Jenkins, 2003; Dworkin et al., 2016; Globokar et al., 2019; Kulkarni et al., 2013; McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995; Sommer & Cox, 2005). Consequently, clinical supervisors of clinicians working with survivors of interpersonal violence must be prepared and able to effectively support clinicians in managing …

The Effect Of Hurricane Harvey On The Continuity Of Patient Care For Long-Term Care Patients Diagnosed With Dementia In Dallas And Harris Counties, Texas, Martin Mufich

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze adverse health outcomes resulting from a disruption caused by Hurricane Harvey in the continuity of patient care for two geographically distinct patient populations: long-term care patients diagnosed with dementia in Dallas County, Texas and Harris County, Texas. Review of the literature revealed three themes: patient transitions from one level of care to another, members of the healthcare team (healthcare professionals, caregivers), and policies and strategies. The research design was a retrospective, quantitative, comparative, quasi-experimental design. The population of study consisted of long- term care patients diagnosed with dementia, N = 5,539. The …

Law Enforcement Efficacy In Domestic Violence Calls Based On The Responding Officer’S Experience, Training, And Scholarly Level, Idilio Moncivais Pinedo

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide insights into whether law enforcement officers (LEO) have been able to produce positive outcomes based on their responses when the victims have called 911. Law enforcement officers in this sample were grouped into three clusters based on the number of years of patrol experience (10 years or less versus more than 10 years), the education level (less than a bachelor’s degree versus at least a bachelor’s degree), and training (advanced training versus basic training). The key findings were A) The three clusters of law enforcement officers were well distinguished. The first cluster …

Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Gratitude, And Burnout: A Structural Equation Model, Allegra Rose Lyon

Dissertations

The present cross-sectional study examined the interrelationships between mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, and burnout in a sample of Health Service Psychology doctoral trainees (n=234) using structural equation modeling. Results suggested that mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude may each function as important internal resources in mitigating burnout in HSP trainees. A priori models showed poor structural fit and were respecified according to modification indices. The respecified primary model was retained as it showed a good fit (χ2(df) = 347.497(99), p < .001; RMSEA = .074; CFI = .939; TLI = .914; SRMR = .054) and significantly better fit than the respecified alternative model (Δ χ 2(1) = 7.37, p < .01). Mindfulness showed direct positive effects on self-compassion (.643) and gratitude (.346), and direct negative effects on burnout (-.344). Self-compassion (-.271) and gratitude (-.220) each also showed direct negative effects on burnout. Mindfulness also showed significant specific indirect effects on burnout via self-compassion (-.174) and gratitude (-.076). Total indirect effects of mindfulness on burnout were medium negative effects (-.250). Total effect of mindfulness on burnout was a large negative effect (-.595). These results can be used to inform changes at the organizational level for doctoral training programs and can be used at an individual level as tools for empowering trainees to increase internal resources that may help them to engage in more sustainable practice. Theoretical, research, and practice implications for counseling psychologists and limitations are discussed.

Factors Influencing Political Self-Efficacy And Political Astuteness In Undergraduate Nurse Educators, Mark William Longshore

Dissertations

The profession of nursing, 3.9 million strong, continues to lag in taking an active role in the development of health policy. Reasons for that include lack of time, a lack of knowledge, and perceived competence of political action. The factors of knowledge and the related perceived competence, or in the case of this study, self-efficacy, could be improved through education. To that end, it was important to identify if nurse educators had the political astuteness, or knowledge, and self-efficacy. If not, how would nurses learn the necessary skills and gain confidence to be more active politically? The purpose of this …

Person-Oriented And Variable-Oriented Statistical Approaches To Understanding At-Risk, Online High School Students: Predictions Of Academic Outcomes And The Moderating Role Of Protective Factors, Amanda Renee Atwater Jacobs

Dissertations

Many students come to school with risk factors that negatively impact their educational attainment and overall well-being. These risk factors may include but are not limited to abuse, poverty, teen pregnancy, low academic achievement, and learning disabilities. Other types of factors have been shown to provide a protective aspect against risk, and examples include social emotional skills such as grit, flexibility, and social-awareness. There is benefit in individualizing educational experiences for at-risk adolescents based on their specific risks and available protective factors, but knowing how these factors influence and interact with one another to predict academic outcomes is the first …

Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching As Decision-Making For The University Mathematician Developing Coherence In Review Of Discrete Mathematics, Julie Lang

Dissertations

Mathematicians teaching at the university level have a deep understanding and appreciation for the mathematics that they teach. However, they rarely receive much formal training in teaching. Thus, university mathematicians must rely on their mathematical understandings and personally developed ideas of teaching to guide their decision-making. Relatively little research exists on mathematicians’ teaching practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) of a university mathematician teaching discrete mathematics and how he leveraged his knowledge to make decisions and develop coherence among mathematical ideas during a semester review. An enactivist perspective examining a mathematician’s …

Political Astuteness Of Nurse Educators, Gail Marie Hanson Brenner

Dissertations

Nurses comprise the largest segment of the healthcare workforce. Although nurses have advocated for patients since Florence Nightingale’s time, advocating for changes in health policies that affect populations on a larger scale has not changed over time (Rasheed et al., 2020). Professional nursing associations, nurse educators, and the Institute of Medicine have all identified the need to educate nurses in advocacy and health policy. With the recent revision of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials publication, health policy has moved from an essential to a featured concept that is found in the competencies and subcompetencies of the domains. …

College Students’ Perceptions Of The Desert Canyons Of The Colorado Plateau, Jeremy Roger Deem

Dissertations

This study investigates eight college students’ perceptions of their experiences during an accredited outdoor education course entitled Technical Canyoneering. The course took place in four separate desert canyons of the Colorado Plateau, two in Arches National Park, and two on nearby Bureau of Land Management public space. Utilizing the data collection process of photo-elicitation, the participants’ time spent in the canyon settings was described in order to gain an understanding of their experiences, with particular attention paid to analyzing what perceptions those students ascribed to those experiences. The intent was threefold. First, the study makes understanding at how college students …

Middle School Students’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Behaviors Towards Using A Virtual Reality Application To Build Molecules, Dalal Za'al Ali Alrmuny

Dissertations

To deliver successful integration of virtual reality (VR) technology into chemistry education, it is essential that students have clear and positive perceptions about the purpose and the value of such integration. An important part of establishing a plan for integrating virtual reality technology into chemistry education is to explore the current perceptions, experiences, and behaviors of students towards the use of VR technology to establish an initial baseline of skills and areas in need of development. The purpose of this exploratory mixed methods study was to explore the perceptions, experiences, and behaviors of 62 middle school students in the state …

An Ensemble Machine Learning Approach To Causal Inference In High-Dimensional Settings, Sami Saad Alanazi

Dissertations

The machine-learning algorithms have gained popularity and have gotten the attention of many researchers in the fields of statistics and computer sciences in recent decades. Due to their computational capabilities in big data, many researchers have been attempting to incorporate machine-learning in prediction and inference problems. One of the recent methods that got a lot of attentions was referred to as the double machine learning method (DML). This method attempts to estimate the effect of the treatment variable in the presence of high-dimensional nuisance function by incorporating machine-learning algorithms. Previous studies have shown that the DML method is able to …

الإطار القانوني للمسؤولیة المدنیة عن حوادث المركبات المستقلة في ظل القانون الإماراتي (دراسة تحلیلیة), ھلا سلمان عید الحدید

Dissertations

Adopting artificial intelligence, particularly in operating vehicles requires a particular attention. The technical complexities of artificial intelligence that Autonomous vehicles is not like that of regular vehicles. Unlike conventional vehicles that operate by the complete control of the operator, Autonomous vehicles enjoy a very high level of operational autonomy. The autonomy of Autonomous vehicles generates a wide array of legal controversies that were never present before. Those controversies need proper answers and solutions in order to minimize risks, preserve the environment, and reduce traffic risks and challenges. The possibility of accidents remains however possible. Therefore, there is a need to …

The Host Mir-17-92 Cluster Negatively Regulates Mmtv Replication By Targeting Its Genomic Rna Via Mir-92a, Jasmin Baby

Dissertations

The mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is a milk-borne infectious agent capable of inducing mammary tumors primarily and to some extent, T-cell leukemias/lymphomas in mice. While MMTV has typically been employed to investigate fundamental processes in breast cancer initiation and progression, very little is known about the virus-host interplay during this process. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are renowned master regulators of the transcriptome that influence key cellular activities, including anti-viral pathways that combat incoming viral infections. A recent study from our group revealed that unlike some retroviruses like bovine leukemia virus (BLV), MMTV does not encode virally-encoded miRNAs (v-miRs); rather, it perturbs …

Analysis Of The Issue Of New Mexico Black Male Educators’ Underrepresentation In Education Within New Mexico, Robert Sims Jr.

Dissertations

Increasing the educational profession's racial, gender, and ethnic diversification ensures the intentionality and equity of having more Black male educators serve as role models in U.S. schools. There is a need to understand better the journey and experiences of Black male educators, wherefore greater grassroots recruitment and retention efforts can be implemented to support Black men and young Black males who may aspire to become educators. Research that captures the experiences of Black male youth and educators as they navigate teaching and learning in predominately White educational systems may promote lines of inquiry for further research and intentional dialogue for …

Understanding The Aspirations And Challenges Of Michigan’S Black School Superintendents: A Toolkit For Building Equity In The Superintendency, Kevin Simmons

Dissertations

Black superintendents are significantly underrepresented in our nation’s schools. Despite a slight increase in representation of female Black superintendents, minorities of all races continue to be underrepresented (Tienken & Domenech, 2020). In this study, I examined the experiences of Black superintendents in Michigan who currently hold superintendent roles, along with the obstacles they faced and their personal characteristics and associated factors that attributed to their resilience and longevity in their role as superintendent. Using a phenomenological qualitative study approach of personal and confidential interviews and survey questions of 12 Black superintendents, data was collected to formulate a toolkit for aspiring …

Development Of The Teaching Twice Exceptional Students Scale, Michelle Ann Godzinski

Dissertations

Twice exceptional (2e) students are a unique population of students, who present with a wide range of strengths and weaknesses. For this reason, it is important for teachers to be trained and feel prepared to work with these students. Teacher self-efficacy has been shown to influence both student and personal outcomes (e.g. student perceptions of school, student academic success, teacher retention, etc). The Teaching Twice Exceptional Students Scale (TTESS) was developed as a way to measure teacher’s self-efficacy in regard to working with 2e students, so that districts may better identify gaps in knowledge or training that teachers may have. …