Digital Commons Network^™

Stigma And Social-Emotional Health In Youth With Learning Differences, Kelsey Maki

Doctoral Dissertations

Youth diagnosed with specific learning disorder (SLD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), defined collectively for the purposes of this study as youth with learning differences, experience poorer social-emotional health outcomes in comparison to their typically developing peers. These youth additionally experience stigma from their peers, teachers, and broader community, which may impact social-emotional health. As a secondary data analysis of a larger study, the present study investigated the role of stigma consciousness alongside demographic variables, self-esteem, and peer relationships in social-emotional health outcomes. Due to the possible differences between youth diagnosed with SLD, ADHD, and comorbid SLD/ADHD, group differences …

Experiences Of Uc Santa Barbara Female Alumni Exposed To A Gender-Based Mass Shooting, Erin G. Carpenter

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past five decades, mass shootings have emerged as a highly politicized, social problem that generates considerable public sentiment and media attention (Elsass et al., 2014; Rocque & Duwe, 2018; Shultz et al., 2014). Moreover, the increase in mass shootings carried out on or near college campuses have led researchers to focus more intently on the predictors and consequences that characterize these types of attacks (Boykin & Orcutt, 2018; Elsass et al., 2014; Fox & Savage, 2009). One college mass shooting that has received limited empirical attention is the 2014 mass shooting that occurred in Isla Vista, a town …

Patient Reported Outcomes In Sickle Cell Disease Examined Within A Conceptual Model, Swapandeep Mushiana, Marsha Treadwell Phd, Sherif M. Badawy Md, Ms, Liliana Preiss Phd, Allison King Md Mph Phd, Barbara Kroner Phd, Yumie Chen Bs, Jeffrey Glassberg, Victor Gordeuk Md, Nirmish Shah Md, Angie Snyder Phd Mph, Theodore Wun Md

Doctoral Dissertations

Objective: To examine the relations between patient reported outcomes (PROs) within a conceptual model for adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) ages 18 – 45 years enrolled in the Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Consortium (SCDIC) registry. We hypothesized that patient and SCD related factors and barriers to care would independently contribute to functioning as measured using the PRO domains. Additionally, pain and other SCD related complications are expected to impact the relation between the variables. Methods: Participants completed a 48-item survey that included socio-demographics and PRO measures, such as social functioning, pain impact emotional distress, and cognitive functioning. …

The Role Of Academic Psychological Capital In The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And College Academic Adjustment Among College Students, Yixun Zhu

Doctoral Dissertations

The transition from high school to college is challenging for many students. Studies have shown that students from low Socioeconomic Status (SES) backgrounds tend to experience more difficulty adjusting to college. Besides financial difficulty, students from low-SES backgrounds also tend to have fewer psychological resources to handle the adjustment. However, few studies looked into psychological factors’ role in the relationship between SES and college adjustment. The present study sought to explore the potential mediation role of psychological capital (PsyCap) in the SES-college adjustment relationship. Another goal was to explore four PsyCap components’(i.e., self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience) potential mediation roles …

Improving Training In Aviation: A Theoretical Evaluation And Application, Marley Walter

Doctoral Dissertations

Pilots are required to go through many hours of instruction and flight training before obtaining certification (FAA, 2016a). This training is designed to teach trainees the relevant concepts and procedures that are needed to complete successful flight operations. However, there are many factors that can impact the effectiveness of this training. The focus of this paper is to investigate, per the request of a faculty member from a University’s Department of Professional Aviation, ways in which an aviation training program could be improved. To better understand this training program, a review of aviation training is provided. To determine if active …

Criteria For Selecting Female Superintendents In A Southern State, Melanie Soignier

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain which personal characteristics and professional skills differentiate female superintendents from school board presidents during the hiring process of a new superintendent. Input from practicing Louisiana public school superintendents and school board presidents was obtained in this quantitative study. This study’s significance was to identify personal characteristics and professional skills identified by current female superintendents to have been significant factors in their selection to the superintendency. Current research and literature reviewed and a reliable survey instrument obtained the desired information from the sample. The components of the survey were divided into two categories: …

Anti-Fat Attitudes And Psychological Distress: The Role Of Psychological Flexibility Among Stigmatizers, Emily Robin Squyres

Doctoral Dissertations

As the population of people struggling with obesity has grown, so has the discrimination and stigmatization of obese individuals. Psychological flexibility has been found to partially mediate the relationship between stigmatizing attitudes and psychological distress for those who hold stigmatizing attitudes toward individuals struggling with mental illness, such that high stigmatizing attitudes about individuals with psychological disorders is associated with low psychological flexibility and low psychological flexibility is associated with high psychological distress. Currently there is no research in the extant literature regarding the relationship between anti-fat attitudes, psychological distress, and psychological flexibility. As such, the present study examined the …

Epileptogenesis In Rodents Leads To Neural System Dysfunction And Loss Of Associative Memory Measured By Auditory Event Related Potentials., Sai Mohan Rudrashetty

Doctoral Dissertations

Epilepsy is a common and disabling neurological condition affecting 1-2% of the world’s population. Individuals suffering from epilepsy are prone to cognitive dysfunctions with detrimental effects in neural processing and memory resulting in decreases in quality of life. An evaluation of inherent neural processes is valuable information to diagnose and clinically assess cognitive function, which could significantly improve the treatment possibilities and thereby the quality of life for epilepsy patients.

An evaluation of cognitive functions during epileptogenesis was performed by experiments using auditory event related potentials (ERP) in rats before and after induction of status epilepticus (SE) using the Lithium-Pilocarpine …

Firm Performance In The Era Of Big Data Analytics: The Effects Of Analytical Human Capital On Firm Capabilities And Performance, Rajiv Dahiya

Doctoral Dissertations

The Big Data phenomenon has revolutionized the way firms do business by providing immense opportunities for valuable business insights from large amounts of data. Big data analytics (BDA) has emerged as one of the top technology investment areas as firms consider it a significant impetus for superior firm performance. However, many firms adopting BDA find it challenging to gain an advantage from their BDA investments. Scholars note the need to further understand the factors and mechanisms of BDA success. Some anecdotal evidence has indicated that a critical barrier to BDA success may be the lack of a necessary workforce with …

School Leader Perceptions Regarding The Role Of The School Based Speech-Language Pathologists, Dawn Guice

Doctoral Dissertations

Through this research, school leaders’ knowledge-base, experiences, and perceptions regarding the role of the school-based speech-language pathologist were investigated. The purpose of this study was to address how school leaders perceived and interacted with speech-language pathologists and any barriers that affected leader perceptions. A qualitative instrumental case study design was selected for the study. Data obtained from personal interviews were analyzed and interpreted through a critical theory lens. Key themes that emerged from school leader perceptions included: (a) limited knowledge regarding the role of speech-language pathologists, (b) understanding of school-based challenges for speech-language pathologists, (c) limited knowledge on contributions speech-language …

Perceived Organizational Justice And Trust As Mediators Between Perceived Gender Discrimination And Organizational Outcomes, Qin Cai

Doctoral Dissertations

Many people, especially women, have experienced gender discrimination in their work lives (e.g., Eagly & Diekman, 2005; Morrison et al., 1987). Gaining an understanding of how perception of gender discrimination is related to organizational outcomes is very important for organizations. In this study, I reviewed extant literatures on perceived gender discrimination, perceived organizational justice, perceived external organizational justice, trust in organization, trust in supervisor, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and corporate social responsibility. I proposed and used structural equation modeling to test the models of the relationships among these constructs to understand how people’s perceived gender discrimination is related …

In Vivo And In Vitro Expression And Interaction Of The Mediator Kinase Module Subunits During Adipogenesis, Sree Lakshmi Venigalla

Doctoral Dissertations

Selective gene expression is crucial in maintaining the self-renewing and differential potential of stem cells. Especially differentiation process requires a constellation of proteins that regulate expression of genes necessary for differentiation towards a specific lineage. Adipogenesis is a process of formation of mature fat cells from precursor cells that is tightly regulated by a number of transcription factors and their cofactors. Dysregulation in the process often leads to metabolic disorders, which is common due to prevalence of obesity. Mediator is a large, evolutionarily conserved, multi-subunit protein complex that functions as a transcriptional coactivator that modulates gene expression by relaying signals …

An Examination Of Covid-19 On Performance And Engagement Scores Of Professional And Frontline Employees, Taylor Anne D’Llio

Doctoral Dissertations

The year 2020 has been a year of change and adaptation largely due to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in the way we live and work have impacted us all to varying degrees. This paper explores the changes in the workplace of a food-and-beverage company to determine the impact on employees due to the pandemic. Specifically, this paper explores the impact of workplace changes on professional and frontline populations (as defined in the Method section) by examining their levels of engagement and performance. The role of age and gender is also examined in relation to engagement and performance. …

The Moderating Effect Of Anger On The Relationship Between Psychological Reactance And Sexual Coercion, Andrea Bonifacia Moreno

Doctoral Dissertations

Rape and sexual assault are a pervasive worldwide phenomenon found across cultures affecting all genders. Rape and sexual assault often take a grave toll on the survivors. Per research, 1 in 5 women, and 1 in 75 men will experience rape, while 33.3% of women, and 16.6% of men report experiencing forced sexual contact in their lifetime (Smith et al., 2017). Research shows sexual assault often has a profoundly negative impact on survivors, leaving them at greater risk for posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, major depressive disorder, and suicidal ideation that results in death by suicide (Zinzow et al., 2011). …

School Leader Perceptions Regarding The Role Of The School Based Speech-Language Pathologists, Dawn D. Guice

Doctoral Dissertations

Through this research, school leaders’ knowledge-base, experiences, and perceptions regarding the role of the school-based speech-language pathologist were investigated. The purpose of this study was to address how school leaders perceived and interacted with speech-language pathologists and any barriers that affected leader perceptions. A qualitative instrumental case study design was selected for the study. Data obtained from personal interviews were analyzed and interpreted through a critical theory lens. Key themes that emerged from school leader perceptions included: (a) limited knowledge regarding the role of speech-language pathologists, (b) understanding of school-based challenges for speech-language pathologists, (c) limited knowledge on contributions speech-language …

Noninvasive Traumatic Brain Injury Therapeutics Effects And Biosensor Implants Optimization In Rodents, Claire Eleanor Jones

Doctoral Dissertations

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) result in impaired motor and sensory skills, which amplify over time due to the natural immune responses to trauma. Currently, there is no therapeutic on the market to treat the secondary damage from the cascading events caused by neurotrauma. In an experimental treatment method, poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-graft-polyethenimine (PgP) is used as a vector for drug delivery. This previously described method has successfully treated experimental spinal cord injury (SCI) using the nanoparticles for Rolipram (Rm) delivery, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, to repair damage in a rat model. We proposed to utilize this same treatment to reduce secondary axonal damage after …

Emotional Labor: An Affective-Commitment Perspective, Matthew J. Vosburg

Doctoral Dissertations

The emotional-labor literature asserts that individuals respond to emotion-display requirements, called display rules, with surface and deep acting. However, surface acting, but not deep acting, relates to deleterious occupational-health outcomes. Deep acting, therefore, is a strategy organizations should promote, should they wish to prioritize the well-being of their employees. Unfortunately, little research exists that clarifies the emotional-labor-choice process. The current study used the job demands-resources model and self-determination theory to hypothesize that affective organizational commitment would differentially moderate the relationship between display rules and the methods of emotional labor. To evaluate this study's hypotheses, 320 participants on an online survey …

The Role Of Video Game Play, Gender Roles, And Career Decision Self-Efficacy In Development Of Stem Career Interests & Motivation, Michael Saunders

Doctoral Dissertations

The gender wage gap, disadvantaging working women, continues to grow despite progress toward women’s rights and occupational equity. With the world economy prioritizing growth in technological industries, the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields perpetuates systemic gender inequity. Further, given traditional social gender roles, women and girls may be less likely than boys and men to pursue STEM careers. Though specialized programs seek to grow the number of girls and young women engaged in STEM-related education and prepare them for the growing demand for STEM laborers, these programs are regional, seasonal, and not widely available …

An Examination Of Organizational Decision-Making: A Case Approach, Olivia Reinecke

Doctoral Dissertations

This applied dissertation offered insights about the scientist-practitioner gap and examined the process of organizational decision making using a real case from a large United States manufacturing company. Historical records of employee work hours were extracted and compiled from several of the company's databases, along with recent plant performance metrics. These archival data were used to evaluate the relationship between the percentage of each plant's population working overtime (i.e., overtime utilization) and each plant’s performance on various manufacturing metrics. This comparison was made using a median split approach, such that the performance of plants with an overtime utilization above the …

Leadership Aspirations Of Preservice Teachers In Louisiana: Does Certification Pathway Matter?, Anthony Thorn Lacaze

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine dispositions of teacher candidates, explore differences in leadership aspirations between traditional and alternative certification groups, and develop an unbiased predictive model for identifying future education leaders. Literature suggests that dispositions can be assessed, taught, and developed, but little is known about the link between the dispositions of teacher candidates and aspirations to seek leadership positions. Fourteen dispositions were identified through a Delphi method to correlate with educational leadership standards. They were then combined through factor analysis to develop four leadership constructs: collaborative, professional, inclusive, and modernistic.

This study found that an existing …

Credit Card Security System And Fraud Detection Algorithm, Baker Al-Smadi

Doctoral Dissertations

Credit card fraud is one of the most critical threats affecting individuals and companies worldwide, particularly with the growing number of financial transactions involving credit cards every day. The most common threats are likely to come from database breaches and identity theft. All these threats threat put the security of financial transactions at severe risk and require a fundamental solution.

This dissertation aims to suggest a secure online payment system that significantly improves credit card security. Our system can be particularly resilient to potential cyber-attacks, unauthorized users, man-in-the-middle, and guessing attacks for credit card number generation or illegal financial activities …

Exploring The Effect Of Occlusion On A Computerized Mental-Rotation Test: Implications For Automatic Item Generation, Swadeep Patel

Doctoral Dissertations

ABSTRACT Radicals are characteristics that impact psychometric properties, such as item difficulty in tests. Within the mental-rotation test literature, occlusion and structure have been shown to contribute to item difficulty but require further study to be used within the context of automatic item generation (AIG). This study investigated whether high or low occlusion functions as a meaningful radical for Shepard-Metzler Mental Rotation Test (SMMRT) items. Thirty-two items containing computer-generated images of 3D block figures were administered to a sample of 180 participants on MTurk. After cleaning and removing careless responders from the sample, the data for 70 participants were analyzed …

Novel Methods For Determining Polymer Content And Polymer Degradation In Asphalt Binder, Roksana Hossain

Doctoral Dissertations

Styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) is the most common modifier used in asphalt binder modification because of its superior performance compared to some others that are used. SBS modified asphalt binder increases the rutting resistance and decreases the fatigue and thermal cracking susceptibility of asphalt pavement. However, SBS modified asphalt binder tends to separate and is subjected to thermal degradation during construction and aging degradation during its service life. As a result, quality control of SBS modified asphalt binder is needed, although no standard test method is available to quantify SBS degradation due to aging.

In this study, two methods for quantifying SBS …

Mental Health Outcomes Of Various Types Of Fear Among University Students Who Have An Undocumented Legal Status During The Donald Trump Presidency, Liliana Campos

Doctoral Dissertations

Having an undocumented legal status is a risk factor for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety among university students. Much of the literature on the experiences of university students who hold an undocumented legal status has primarily focused on better understanding the educational, social, financial, and legal challenges among undergraduate students. The literature has addressed how some of these difficulties impact components of their social and mental health wellness. Yet, there is still a dearth of research focused on further understanding the experiences of students who hold an undocumented legal status from a psychological perspective, and specifically, with …

Impact Of Moral Injury For Ethnic/Racial Minority Male Veterans, Kristopher Kern

Doctoral Dissertations

Trends in demographics of post-9/11 veterans (deployments to the Middle East after 2001) describe this group as having higher survival rates, increased service-connected disabilities, and more racially diverse (NCVAS, 2018; Schnurr et al., 2009; Tanelian & Jaycox, 2008). Additionally, their deployment experiences include combat-related experiences that contradict personal moral beliefs, later named “moral injury” (MI) (Litz et al., 2009). Currier, Holland, and Mallot (2015) describe MI as intense emotions of shame, guilt, and anger alongside maladaptive behaviors emerging after “witnessing and/or participating in warzone events that challenge one’s basic sense of humanity” (p. 231).

The research on MI continues to …

Understanding The Healthcare Experiences Of Lgbtq+ People: An Adaptation Of The Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire, Conor Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

LGBTQ+ people's experiences of heterosexism, which are common in the healthcare system, are linked to poor health outcomes. There are no measures of LGBTQ+ people’s experiences in healthcare settings which could be used by healthcare systems and providers to improve the quality of their care for this vulnerable population. The Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire (DHEQ), developed using the minority stress model, measures the general stressful life experiences of LGBTQ+ people. This project aimed to adapt the DHEQ for use in healthcare settings.

A mixed-methods study was conducted to create the Daily Heterosexist Experiences Questionnaire-Healthcare (DHEQ-H). Semi-structured interviews focused on the …

The Use Of Mindfulness Meditation To Increase The Efficacy Of Mirror Visual Feedback For Reducing Phantom Limb Pain In Amputees, Nicolas Sebastian Mills

Doctoral Dissertations

Phantom limb pain is a chronic pain condition that negatively impacts the lives of over half of amputees, and results in considerable morbidity. Currently, there is no gold standard for treatment for phantom limb pain. However, a frequently used intervention is the use of mirror visual feedback, in which the amputee watches the reflection of the adjacent non-amputated limb move and exercise. In the last few decades, mindfulness-based interventions have been increasingly used with individuals living with different types of chronic pain. This study attempts to discover if the addition of a mindfulness-based intervention, such as guided meditation, will augment …

Lateral Torsional Buckling Resistance Of Continuous Steel Stringers In Existing Bridges, Dinesha Malky Kuruppuarachchi Kuruppuarachchi Appuhamilage Don

Doctoral Dissertations

Some of the Louisiana’s bridges built in the 1950s and 1960s used two-girder or truss systems, in which floorbeams are carried by main members and the continuous (spliced) stringers are supported by the floorbeams. The main members are either two edge (fascia) girders or trusses. When the flexural capacity of continuous stringers is calculated, the moment gradient factor (Cb) is not accurately calculated considering the lateral torsional buckling (LTB) at the negative moment section. In particular, the bracing effect of the non-composite concrete deck is not accounted for, and as a result, the current practice has underestimated the LTB strength …

Valorization Of Secondary Agriculture Residues, Narendra Kumar

Doctoral Dissertations

Secondary agriculture residues have the potential to be major contributors as resources for energy and sustainably sourced materials production. Separating secondary agricultural residues, which have already been transported to processing centers, into individual biomass components could convert these wastes into bioproducts. Many types of pretreatments to achieve this separation involve chemicals that are hazardous for the environment. Several deep eutectic solvents (DES) that are biocompatible have been investigated for their ability to deconstruct rice hulls and sugarcane bagasse. Mass yield, enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated biomass, fiber analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy have confirmed that the DES formic acid:choline …

The Role Of Med31 And Med12 In Directing Adipogenesis Of Human Adult-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Joseph Straub

Doctoral Dissertations

Selective gene expression is crucial in maintaining the self-renewing and multipotent properties of stem cells. Mediator is a large, evolutionarily conserved, multisubunit protein complex that modulates gene expression by relaying signals from cell type-specific transcription factors to RNA polymerase II. In humans, this complex consists of 30 subunits arranged in four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. In our introduction, we show the state of the field of Mediator study with a focus on the critical kinase module. In the following chapters, we used siRNA knockdowns to investigate the roles of the highly-conserved core subunit MED31 and the kinase module …