Digital Commons Network^™

Stem Education:An Examination Of School Leaders’ And Teachers’ Perceptions On Stem Implementation In Uae Schools, Sara Elkeir Hamad

Dissertations

STEM education in the UAE is currently receiving growing attention due to the massive economic growth, which created a need for STEM-qualified graduates. Accordingly, UAE educational policymakers and curriculum developers advocate developing and implementing STEM education at all educational levels. The research emphasized that STEM education positively affects students’ ability to solve problems, be innovative, think critically, and be technology literate. This study aims to examine school leaders’ and STEM teachers’ perceptions of STEM implementation practices in the UAE context. A sequential explanatory, mixed-method design was employed to collect the data from the school’s leaders and teachers, quantitively using a …

Investigating The Role Of Fun30, A Chromatin Remodeler, In Dna Repair, Mehwish Iqbal

Dissertations

The repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is crucial for maintaining genome stability. DSB repair needs to take place within the complex organization of the chromatin, and this requires changes in the chromatin structure adjacent to DSB sites. These changes occur through covalent histone modifications that alter histone-DNA contacts as well as by the action of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers. Many chromatin remodelers, including Fun30, are involved in DSB repair. Fun30 facilitates DNA end resection at DSB site during the homologous recombination repair pathway. Apart from its role in DNA repair, Fun30 promotes gene silencing at heterochromatic loci such as telomeres, …

Factors Affecting Eighth Grade Students’ Mathematics Achievements In Timss 2015 In Abu Dhabi Emirate, Yousef Ahmed Wardat

Dissertations

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting mathematics achievement of eighth grade students in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, 2015) and to determine mathematics teachers' perceptions of TIMSS in Abu Dhabi Emirate schools. The first part of the study sample consisted of 4,838 students of grade eight (2,172 girls, 2,666 boys) and 156 respective school principals, and 220 mathematics teachers from Abu Dhabi, who attended TIMSS 2015. Study data was obtained from TIMSS 2015 student, teacher, school questionnaires, as well as cognitive test scores for mathematics. The second part of the study included data from 522 …

Efficient Routing Protocols For Cognitive Radio Networks Of Energy-Constrained Devices And Dissimilar Delay-Sensitive Levels, Rita Ahmad Abu Diab

Dissertations

As the Cognitive Radio (CR) overwhelms spectrum deficiency, it offers a substantial communication environment to accommodate IoT devices demanding connectivity and prompt arrival of their sensed data. The perceived shortage in CR routing protocols concerning delay and energy consumption promotes the novel proposal of two multi-hop routing protocols; Efficient Routing protocol for Cognitive Radio (ERCR) networks and Efficient Hybrid Routing protocol for Cognitive Radio (EHRCR) networks. A proposal for a D/M/1/K queuing model adapted to be applied in a CR network (CRN) is investigated with a retrial service system over a single licensed channel. …

Cna Status As An Admission Criterion For Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Comparative Case Study, Nancy Capponi

Dissertations

Undergraduate nursing programs continue to be unable to meet the current and projected demand for nurses. Faculty and administrators need to choose admission criteria that best predict student success in the program to provide newly graduated nurses to meet societal demands for nurses. The objective for this study was to investigate the perceptions of clinical faculty and undergraduate nursing students regarding effects of the nonacademic admission criterion of status as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) on first-year student preparedness for the clinical setting, self-confidence and anxiety in clinical decision-making (CDM), and student success. A comparative case study design was used …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Acculturation, Islamic Religious Practice, And Academic Performance Among Saudi Arabian Students In The United States, Marzook A. Aldhafeeri

Dissertations

Recent data have indicated that universities in the United States (U.S.) host as many as 21,933 students from Saudi Arabia, making Saudi Arabia one of the top four countries for international students attending U.S. universities. Several research studies have indicated that religiosity and acculturation influence student’s performance. However, there is a scarcity of studies that assessed the relationships among acculturation, religious practices, and the academic performances among Saudi Arabian students in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among acculturation, religiosity, and academic performance among Saudi Arabian students in the United States. This study was …

Latina's Experiences Of Shared Parenting In The Context Of Intimate Partner Violence: A Phenomenological Study, Pisinee Dangwung

Dissertations

This dissertation presented a hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted with 12 Latina mothers who were survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) considering or in a process of shared parenting with their former abusive partner. The purpose of this study was to explore the essence of shared parenting experiences among participants in the IPV context and examine how attachment style, adverse childhood experiences, and cultural values impacted their shared parenting decisions and processes. The study was guided by the theoretical frameworks of symbolic interactionism, intersectional feminism, and attachment. Findings indicated adverse childhood experiences and cultural values affected participants’ shared parenting decisions and …

Generation Status, Ethnic Identity, Colonial Mentality, And Enculturation In Filipino Americans, Kamille Patricia Urmaza La Rosa

Dissertations

Filipino Americans’ psychological experiences pertaining to their generation status, ethnic identity, enculturation, and colonial mentality are rarely studied in counseling psychology due to inconsistent disaggregation of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA&PI) data (Agbayani-Siewert, 2004; Espiritu, 2003; Nadal et al., 2010; Okamura, 2013). Literature suggests that the study of these constructs related to their mental health can guide more culturally informed care for this historically excluded population (David & Nadal, 2013; Nadal, 2020). The current study used an exploratory design to test six research hypotheses and accomplish the following: examine relationships between the constructs, investigate intergenerational differences, validate a measure …

An Examination Of Medical Resident Practices Regarding Patient Communication About Infant Safe Sleep Practices, Summer Samir Chahin

Dissertations

Infant mortality is a significant public health concern in the United States, particularly because of the large racial disparities in death rates. In particular, Black infants die at a rate twice that of white infants (Center for Disease Control, 2016). Sleep-related deaths are one of the most preventable causes of infant mortality. In Kalamazoo, Black and multi-racial infants account for the majority (3 out of 4) of sleep-related deaths (Sleep-Related Infant Deaths in Kalamazoo County Fact Sheet, 2017). To reduce sleep-related deaths, the American Academy of Pediatrics published recommendations for safe sleep practices (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016).

Unfortunately, caregivers …

Vertex Identification In Graphs, Yuya Kono

Dissertations

In recent decades, there has been increased interest in studying ways touniquely identify the vertices of a given graph. Two of best-known vertex identification methods are referred to as the metric dimension introduced by Slater and by Harary, and Melter in the1970s, and the partition dimension introduced by Chartrand in 2000. The first method deals with locating an ordered set of vertices in a connected graph G and uniquely identifying each vertex of G by means of the distance between this vertex and the vertices in the ordered set. The second method deals with partitioning the vertex set of a …

Evaluating Hospital Community Benefit And Community Health Improvement Requirements, Shelly Johnson

Dissertations

The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) hospital community benefit standard aims to improve the community's health, it is a test the IRS uses to determine whether a hospital is organized and operated for the charitable purpose of promoting health. Participation in this program is required of all not-for-profit hospitals in the US, who spend billions of dollars annually in community benefit in place of taxes. Hospitals must annually submit IRS form 990 Schedule H and are required to report costs associated with their provision of community benefit spending. In addition, a hospital must conduct community health needs assessment (CHNA) and implementation …

Irregular Orbital Domination In Graphs, Peter E. Broe

Dissertations

In recent decades, domination in graphs has become a popular area of study due in large degree to its applications to modern society and the mathematical beauty of the topic. While this area evidently began with the work of Claude Berge in 1958 and of Oystein Ore in 1962, domination did not become an active area of research until 1977 with the appearance of a survey paper by Ernest Cockayne and Stephen Hedetniemi. Since then a large number of variations of domination have surfaced and provided numerous applications to different areas of science and real-life problems. Among these variations are …

Characterization Of Disorder And Its Effects On Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides, Krystal Rose York

Dissertations

Since the discovery of the unique electrical properties of graphene in 2004, there has been an increased interest in two-dimensional (2D) materials. However, graphene is known as a zero-gap semi-metal, thus spurring further research in order to find suitable 2D semiconductor materials. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a class of layered materials that have recently attracted attention. In particular, MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2 have direct band gaps in their monolayer form and favorable electrical properties, making them promising materials for both electronic and optoelectronic applications. Like many 2D materials, studies in semiconductor TMD materials began with mechanically exfoliated sheets …

A Remote Sensing And Machine Learning-Based Approach To Forecast The Onset Of Harmful Algal Bloom (Red Tides), Moein Izadi

Dissertations

In the last few decades, harmful algal blooms (HABs, also known as “red tides”) have become one of the most detrimental natural phenomena all around the world especially in Florida’s coastal areas due to local environmental factors and global warming in a larger scale. Karenia brevis produces toxins that have harmful effects on humans, fisheries, and ecosystems. In this study, I developed and compared the efficiency of state-of-the-art machine learning models (e.g., XGBoost, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine) in predicting the occurrence of HABs. In the proposed models, the K. brevis abundance is used as the target, and 10 …

Experimental Insights Into The Origin Of Microcrystalline Calcites, Mohammed Hashim

Dissertations

A significant proportion of modern marine calcium carbonate sediments is dominated by metastable aragonite and high Mg calcite that either dissolves or stabilizes to low-Mg-calcite (calcite) or dolomite during diagenesis. Sediment dissolution and stabilization have implications for the CaCO3 budget in the ocean and carbon burial rates. Yet, the diagenetic conditions that promote each process and their relative importance are poorly understood. Further, stabilization most commonly produces calcite microcrystals that exhibit various textures and host micropores. Despite their ubiquity in the rock record, the controls on microcrystal textures remain unclear. Here, laboratory experiments were used to investigate aragonite-to-calcite stabilization as …

Unsupervised Learning With Word Embeddings Captures Quiescent Knowledge From Covid-19 And Materials Science Literature, Tasnim H. Gharaibeh

Dissertations

Millions of scientific papers are produced each year and the scientific literature is continuing to grow at a head-spinning speed. Thus, massive scientific knowledge exists in solid text, but all these publications make it difficult, if not impossible, for researchers to keep in up to date with discoveries, even within a narrow scientific area. This massive amount of information also makes it difficult to find implicit and hidden connections, relationships, and dependencies within the information that may guide the direction of future research or lead to valuable new insights. So, there is a need for algorithms or models that can …

Cost-Effective Enablement Of Automated Driving Systems On Snow-Covered Roads, Nicholas Alan Goberville

Dissertations

The top reason for implementing automated driving features is to increase safety. Current deployed features like lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control have the ability to reduce collisions by up to 50%. However, due to perception limitations, these systems are only capable of operating in strict operational design domains. For example, the occlusion of lane lines introduced during winter weather conditions causes these safety systems to disengage. Companies targeting higher automated systems often use more expensive, high-fidelity sensors that may solve problems like this, but because of the high cost and minimal business model, deployments of such scope are unsustainable. …

Examining Academic Self-Efficacy, Race-Related Stress, Psychological Well-Being, And Racial Centrality On Black Former Undergraduate Historically Black College Students Currently Enrolled In Graduate Predominantly White Institutions, Maime Butler

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among racial centrality, racerelated stress, and psychological well-being on academic self-efficacy for Black former undergraduate HBCU and PWI students currently attending PWI graduate institutions. The following measures were used to test the research questions (a) a demographic questionnaire, (b) Mental Health Inventory (MHI; Viet & Ware, 1983), (c) Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity – Racial Centrality Scale (MIBI; Sellers, 1998), (d) Inventory of Race-Related Stress- Brief Version (IRRS-B Utsey, 1999), (e) Graduate Education Self-Efficacy Scale (GESES; Williams, 2005). There were 200 participants, 74 former HBCU graduates and 126 former PWI …

Developing A Model To Measure Public Sector Knowledge Management Performance Using The Analytic Network Process, Hussein N. Chalabi

Dissertations

Knowledge Management (KM) is a relatively a nascent field under the discipline of public administration. Specifically, KM performance measurement in the public sector is one of the areas that, to some extent, received less attention from scholars. This study aims to develop a model to measure KM performance in the public sector. The model of this dissertation is derived from system theories, where KM is depicted as a system consisting of intertwined and interacting elements. The proposed model is hypothesized to measure KM through evaluating knowledge resources, knowledge processes, and environmental factors identified as a prerequisite to the success of …

Management Of Data Brokers In Support Of Smart Community Applications, Shadha Tabatabai

Dissertations

The widespread use of smart devices has led to the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. Big data generated by billions of devices must be analyzed to make better decisions. However, this introduces security, communication, and processing problems. To solve these problems, we develop algorithms to enhance the work of brokers. We focus our efforts on three problems.

In the first problem, brokers are used in the cloud along with Software Defined Network (SDN) switches. We formulate minimizing brokers’ load difference within a reconfiguration budget with the constraint of indivisible topics as an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) problem. We show that …

Determining The Role Of Gata3 In A Sub-Population Of Vestibular Hair Cells, Sydney Sheltz-Kempf

Dissertations

The inner ear can be divided based on two functions: hearing and balance. The hearing organ is called the cochlea, while the organs responsible for balance are called the vestibular system. One of these vestibular organs, the utricle, is positioned horizontally in the body and relatively parallel to the ground, resulting in sensitive detection of both sideways, and forward and backward acceleration. One major question in the field of otolaryngology focuses on the unique differences between these organs and the evolutionary importance of their similarities. One particular gene of interest called Gata3 is initially expressed highly in the cochlea and …

Delegitimizing Animal Rights And Environmental Activism: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of “Eco-Terrorism” In Congress And The Federal Courts, Joshua Varnell

Dissertations

Research on eco-terrorism has focused attention on many areas, from the analysis of the language used in specific pieces of legislation targeting animal rights and environmental activists, like the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, and the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, to the appropriateness of labeling individuals and groups eco-terrorist and/or terrorist given their non-violent stance and direct action campaigns which target property not people, and to law enforcement responses to those labeled eco-terrorist (Del Gandio and Nocella II 2014; Lovitz 2007; Carson, LaFree, and Dugan 2012; Loadenthal 2013b, 2014). The eco-terrorist discourse produces images of animal rights and environmental activists as …

Bayesian Credible Subgroup For Excess Zeroes, Daniel Nii Kwatei Quartey

Dissertations

A goal of subgroup analysis is to identify which subgroups of the population benefit from a given treatment. Traditional and also many recently introduced approaches to subgroup analysis that include statistical hypothesis testing of treatment-covariate interactions, prediction of personalized treatment effects via machine learning tree splitting algorithms, etc. do not explicitly address multiplicity issues. In this article, we extend the two–step Bayesian credible subgroups approach to assessment of heterogeneity in treatment effects and multiplicity-adjusted benefiting subgroup identification for zero–inflated count data, which are often encountered in medical and public health studies. Our approach is to conceptualize a zero–inflated Poisson regression …

The Influence Of Integrated Behavioral Health Primary Care Setting On The Utilization Of Mental Health Services And Depression Treatment Response Among Men, Tendai Masiriri

Dissertations

The 2010-2013 National Health Interview Survey showed that nearly 9% of men had daily feelings of anxiety or depression, yet less than 41% sought help for their symptoms (Blumberg et al., 2016). Men are more reluctant than women to seek help (Angst et al., 2002; Brownhill et al., 2005). The failure to seek help among men is associated with multiple factors related to stigma and gender, yet male suicide rates are approximately 3-5 times higher than their female counterparts. However, they have a higher likelihood of seeking help from a medical provider rather than a mental health provider. If men …

Forming Connections: The Cell-Autonomous Roles Of Gata3 And Neurod1 In Developing Auditory Neurons, Elizabeth Madison Ketchum

Dissertations

Hearing loss is the most prevalent sensory disorder, yet current treatment options are restricted to hearing aids and cochlear implants. Both treatment options require the presence and proper formation of inner ear auditory afferent neurons, known as spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). In many patients with hearing loss, these neurons are either not present or are improperly organized, making current therapeutic options nonviable. Although it would be ideal to preserve functioning SGNs or to regenerate them, we are still learning how SGNs develop and form their projections to their peripheral and central targets. Therefore, a better understanding of the genes involved …

Nurses' Experiences Caring For Patients With Opioid Use Disorder, Pamella M. Campbell

Dissertations

Over the past 2 decades, opioid use in the United States has taken thousands of lives, reached the level of epidemic in 2017, and has been an area of study among scholars. The problem is health care professionals, including nurses, lack training on how to care for people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Nurses are at the frontline of patient care and understanding the nurses' experiences in the care of patients with OUD may help to improve the patients' quality of care. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to develop an understanding of the experiences of nurses with …

Perinatal Nurses' Therapeutic Attitudes Towards Women Who Use Addictive Substances During Pregnancy, Karen D. Neary

Dissertations

The use of addictive substances during pregnancy continues to rise despite the known deleterious effects of addictive substances on the developing fetus. Neonates exposed to addictive substances in-utero suffer from a variety of negative outcomes that result in the need for specialized care. To improve neonatal outcomes, current research promotes involvement of the mother, who used addictive substances during pregnancy, in her newborn's care. However, women who use addictive substances during pregnancy often feel judged and ridiculed by nurses who care for them, or their newborns, leading these women to be less involved in their newborn's care. The purpose of …

How The Strong Survive: Health As Expanding Consciousness And The Life Experience Of Black Caribbean Women, Angelleen R. Peters-Lewis

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to answer the research questions: What is the pattern of Health as Expanding Consciousness in Black Caribbean women living in the United States? What is the pattern of Health as Expanding Consciousness across members in a community of Black Caribbean Women?

Margaret Newman's Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness provided the theoretical framework used to guide the study. Newman's hermeneutic dialectic methodology facilitated understanding of meaningful relationships and significant life events of individuals and across participants. This research method also illuminated the influence of culture on life patterns of individuals and across …

Exploring The Impact Of An Online Leadership Course On Japanese Undergraduates' Conceptions Of Leadership, Ryosuke Watanabe

Dissertations

Today’s complex problems transcend borders and require a collective and adaptive learning response. Literature suggests that, because the traditional hierarchical or positional style of leadership cannot effectively address problems we face today, leadership should take a more collaborative and systemic form. Rost (1991) characterized this new approach as the postindustrial paradigm of leadership. Unfortunately, changing the existing conception of leadership is not easy. Furthermore, assessing people’s leadership perceptions is challenging because leadership is often a tacit and latent construct. Because formal leadership education is still in its infancy in Japan, little is known about the impact of leadership education in …

Research Nurses' Attitudes And Practices Regarding Communication Of Risks And Benefits During The Research Informed Consent Process, Lidia Lika Nusbaum

Dissertations

Many studies show that research participants frequently do not fully comprehend information regarding risks and benefits (R&B) associated with clinical trials even though this is a fundamental component of the research informed consent (IC) process, required by ethical and regulatory guidelines. Research nurses often take an active role in obtaining IC while explaining study details and verifying potential participants' understanding. Although there are published recommended strategies to enhance the IC communication process, particularly for R&B communication, there is a paucity of research focused on research nurses' perspectives about the process. This study addresses this gap in the literature and provides …