Digital Commons Network^™

Non-Destructive Imaging Of Phytosulfokine Trafficking In Plants Using Fiber-Optic Fluorescence Microscopy, Bernard Abakah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plants secrete peptide ligands and use receptor signaling to respond to stress and control development. Understanding these phenomena is key to improving plant health and productivity for food, fiber, and energy applications. Phytosulfokine (PSK), a sulfated peptide hormone, regulates plant cell division, growth, and stress tolerance via specific phytosulfokine receptors (PSKRs). This study uses fiber-optic fluorescence microscopy to elucidate trafficking of PSK in live plants. The microscope features two-color optics and an objective lens connected to a 1-m coherent imaging fiber mounted on either a conventional upright microscope body or 5-axis positioning system (X–Y–Z plus pitch and yaw). PSK and …

Student Success Programming, College Academic Achievement Scores, And Retention Rates, Leslie D. Merritt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student success programming was created to help students transition to the college environment and coursework. While many university-created programs are geared to all students, federally-funded programs and some university-created programs aim to specifically help students from marginalized populations. With Spady’s (1970) and Tinto’s (1975) theories guiding the conceptual framework, this study examined the relationship between participation in student success programs as it related to grade point averages and retention rates. Additional focus was placed on Black and Pell-eligible participants of student success programming. The study was conducted using archival data from two mid-size, public, four-year institutions of higher education. One …

Perception Of Social Media As Seen By Educational Leadership Online Graduate Students, Todd Emma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand student perceptions of social media as they relate to the programs of study for online graduate students participating in an educational leadership department (hereafter referred to as EDLR) in Tennessee. As institutions of higher education are being affected by declining enrollments, increasing tuition, rising numbers of nontraditional students, global events, and continuing budget cuts, understanding student perception of the educational experience is a fundamental element for understanding ways to address the uncertain future of higher education. Through a series of in-depth interviews, data were collected and analyzed to provide a framework …

“It’S Alive!” The Birth And Afterlife Of The Gothic Genre, Tanner Linkous

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the development of the Gothic novel in England throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This thesis establishes the Gothic as a literary mode of middle-class terror by analyzing Gothic novels within the historical context of the Industrial and Democratic revolutions. This requires an in-depth understanding of politics throughout both centuries and this thesis engages with several sources such as Maggie Kilgour’s The Rise of the Gothic Novel which adds important context to my claims. Additionally, I use several contemporary sources such as Godwin’s Caleb Williams, the writings of Edmund Burke, and On the Pleasure Derived from Objects …

Exploring Sexual And Reproductive Health Care In Central Appalachia Through The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Non-Binary People, Chase Harless

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Transgender or nonbinary (TNB) individuals in the United States experience higher rates of sexual and reproductive health disparities when compared to their cisgender counterparts, along with lower access to care. TNB people in the south experience higher rates of disparities. Societal, interpersonal, and individual barriers contribute to these disparities in the TNB population. However, there is a paucity of research examining the sexual and reproductive health experiences of TNB people living in Central Appalachia.

Methods: An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) research design was used to collect and analyze semi-structured interviews with TNB individuals living in central Appalachia regarding their …

A Comparison Of The Expressive Language Characteristics In Schizophrenia And Wernicke’S Aphasia, Taylor Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental illness and language disorders are rarely linked together as a way of making a comparison. In this study, a comprehensive scoping review was initiated to discuss the differential diagnostic characteristics of expressive language in Schizophrenia and Wernicke’s Aphasia (WA). This study will examine the domains of language where there are overlaps between the characteristics of expressive language. Semantics, pragmatics, and discourse will be further examined while comparing what aspects of expressive language are key in each domain. Schizophrenia being classified as a mental illness and WA being classified as an acquired language disorder, there are fundamental properties of language …

Assessing A Pandemic: Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Covid-19 In Tennessee School-Age Children, Omobolaji Olawuyi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is a spatiotemporal analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in school-age children (5-18 years) in Tennessee, from 2020-03-19 to 2022-02-12. Trend Analysis, Emerging Hot Spot Analysis, and a time series revealed three significant waves in both age groups. Therefore, Change Point Detection at the county level was completed using six defined change points to identify the wax and wane of the three COVID-19 waves. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis grouped counties with similar change points into six clusters. No spatial pattern was observed in distribution of the six clusters, however, when each change point was evaluated separately, spatial autocorrelation was present, …

A Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Influencing 2-Year College Enrollment During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren Margaret Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted enrollment, a continuation of the decline ongoing since 2010. Two-year colleges are highly dependent on tuition revenue. Consequently, the pandemic exacerbated the postsecondary economic crisis, as 2-year institutions faced financial hardship amidst enrollment uncertainties. In response to the pandemic, policymakers and 2-year college leaders adapted their enrollment management efforts. However, the impact of these actions on enrollment was unknown. Using resource dependence theory, the present study aimed to understand how COVID-19 influenced 2-year colleges' acquisition of their most sustainable resource, enrollment. Separate multiple linear regression analyses explored the influence of four enrollment management efforts (shift …

Early College High School: A Study Of Dual Enrollment Students' Academic Success Based On Classroom Environment, Cynthia A. Johnston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ex post facto, causal-comparative, quantitative study examined variations in academic success of Early College High School (ECHS) students who completed a dual credit course in two separate classroom environments, specifically a high school classroom environment and a college classroom environment. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship existed between classroom environment and final grades of students enrolled in an ECHS. Students in the high school classroom environment sample completed a dual credit English 101 course in a high school classroom located in an ECHS, taught by a high school teacher who had been credentialed by the partnering community/technical …

Impostor Phenomenon, College-Going Knowledge, And Staff Expectations: Ramifications On First Time In College Students Enrollment, Julia A. Vickery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A lack of technically trained, skilled, and educated workforce has become a critical issue in Texas. Furthermore, an educated workforce improves communities and individuals with economic, health, and personal benefits. Community colleges not only provide open-access admissions and low-cost tuition but are specifically aligned with educating the technical and industrial skilled workforce. Although a post-high school education has never been more accessible or necessary for obtaining high-earning jobs, post-high school college enrollment is declining, and conventional reform strategies do not appear to be effecting change. Graduating high school students aspire to attend postsecondary training by applying and being accepted but …

The Medicine Of Memes: An Exploration Of Humor Styles, Memes, And Dark Humor, Theodor Napp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The usage of humor as a coping strategy is one that has been well-studied in the realm of psychology (Abel, 2002). However, research into the usage of dark humor as a coping mechanism, as well as dark humor expressed in memes, is not nearly as well-studied. This study (N = 50) replicated previous findings on humor and personality and expanded the research on self-directed humor and dark humor by comparing it to humor styles outlined by Martin et al. (2003) and Tsukawaki and Imura (2020). Replication results were mixed, with some findings supporting previous research between the Big Five personality …

The Lived Experience Of Good Therapy For Latino Clients, Rebecca Trujillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Latino population is one of the fastest growing minority populations in the United States. While there is vastness and diversity in the countries that represent Latino heritages, Latino people hold similar values that influence their lives including familismo, respeto, personalismo, and many others (Ayón & Aisenberg, 2010; Bean et. al., 2001; Bermúdez et al., 2010; Calzada et al., 2010; Elias-Juarez & Knudson-Martin, 2016). Previous researchers identified stigma regarding mental health issues in Latino communities and the role of values like familismo in contributing to the stigma of accessing mental health support outside of Latinos’ families (McGoldrick et al., 2005). …

Impacts Of Online Debate On Ipda Inter-Team Communication, Ethan Riley Arbuckle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper looks to analyze the differences in inter-team communication created by the International Public Debate Association’s (IPDA) switch to the virtual debate format. The analysis includes a breakdown of literature covering virtual communication, the history of the IPDA, and virtual debate. Literature has shown negative gender representation, and that virtual communication has significant internal batters to the same function as face-to-face communication. Given the impacts that virtual communication has had on connectivity, and speech patterns this research attempts to find if those impacts have been consistent in its application to the IPDA. The study uses a quantitative survey methodology …

Argentine Women’S Narratives Of Leadership, Ileana Andrea Mocciola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated and examined the narratives of Argentine women leaders while obtaining and exercising leadership positions. This research was based on narrative theory and the feminist standpoint theory. Argentine female participants (N = 10) were subject to interviews that overall lasted 600 minutes and were conducted through the Zoom platform. Fifty-five pages of single-spaced transcripts were analyzed and studied. The results of this study revealed that Argentine women face major challenges when it comes to tokenism, exclusion, mentorship, and stereotypes that prevent and limit them from reaching and succeeding in leadership positions.

Positive Psychology For Mdd And Ptsd: A Systematic Review Of Treatment Benefits And Efficacy, Jackson Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive psychology was founded by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 2000 as a psychological school of thought that focused more on identifying and building up a client’s positive strengths instead of just focusing on their mental health deficits. The question asked in this systematic review is as follows, “Is there a unique benefit to treating MDD or PTSD with positive psychotherapeutic interventions and does it result in lower rates of suicide/relief from severe MDD/PTSD?” Objective: The objective of this literature review and meta-analysis was to examine the evidence and determine if positive psychology-based interventions such as PsyCap, IPPI, and …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Mental Health Of College Students, Jack Marcelain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

COVID-19 changed the world in the span of a few months. Schools and other businesses had to close and move to an online format to decrease physical interaction and stop the spread of the virus. Many people went without seeing close friends and loved ones due to the quarantine or lost someone close to them due to the virus. Students enrolled in college were sent home abruptly and could not return in person to school for the remainder of the year. Even when they were allowed to return to school, new guidelines and how classroom content was delivered were put …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of The Christian Reformational Transcendental Model Of Art Criticism As A Literary Theory Through Albert Camus’S The Stranger, Elizabeth Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The subfield of art criticism and theory within Christian reformational philosophy, a descendent of the neo-Calvinist theology developed through the work of Dutch Reformer Abraham Kuyper and others, is becoming increasingly diverse. Recently, scholars such as Leland Ryken, Glenda Faye Mathes, and Philip Graham Ryken have built upon twentieth-century theologian Francis Schaeffer’s worldview approach by popularizing a transcendental model of art criticism, an approach that applies the transcendentals of truth, goodness, and beauty to works of art. However, the transcendentals, while widely discussed in the fields of philosophy, theology, and, to a lesser extent, art theory, have not been explicitly …

Reducing Readmission Rates Among Patients Who Have A Dual Diagnosis Of Both Mental And Physical Illnesses, Hannah M. Shahan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Readmission rates are a primary indicator used by acute care hospitals to determine the effectiveness of healthcare treatments and interventions. High readmission rates indicate the existence of a gap in the continuum of care. Acute care hospitals focus on the treatment of the immediately urgent physical health condition. Once the immediate presenting illness is treated or stabilized, the patient is discharged. This focus largely leaves mental illness undiagnosed and untreated. However, chronic, untreated mental illnesses are often comorbid with physical illnesses. In studies comparing patients with comorbid physical and mental illness to patients with only a physical illness, comorbidity was …

TíNh ThốNg NhấT Trong Sự Đa DạNg: Hanoi International Fellowship Ethnography, Ariel Marie Bloomer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hanoi International Fellowship (HIF) is a multinational, multiethnic International Church (IC) in Hanoi, Vietnam. This thesis investigates how HIF constitutes unity among such lived diversity in its congregation. Chapter one reviews existing literature and provides the methodology of the study. Chapter two investigates where unity and diversity are present in HIF, focusing specifically on its mission and values, ministries, and leadership. Chapter three provides a theological basis for unity in diversity. Chapter four presents the research findings from this study. Lastly, Chapter five expresses the study’s limitations, summarizes the findings, offers suggestions to HIF and other Christian communities, recommends future …

Mental Confidence In Alzheimer's Disease, Harrison Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A simple symptom like forgetfulness can lead to a gradual, subtle decline in the individual’s sense of identity. In dementia, self-efficacy is the foundation that allow individual to prolong their capacity of independence and identity. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prominent form of dementia with tens of millions in the world currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. AD is most often associated with impaired memory, confusion, language impairment, and unpredictable, agitated, aggressive, and paranoid behavior. While there are many studies examining the quality of life in individuals with AD, there are fewer investigating the psychological effects of AD on the …

Factors That Impact Prevention Therapy For A Person(S) Living With Hiv In A Conservative, West Texas City, Madison E. Reyna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is well known for being a sexually transmitted virus that will result in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. Some individuals are unaware of the other risk factors that can result in the transmission of HIV. The transmission of HIV can occur through the spread of HIV-positive blood, oral, anal, and vaginal sex without a condom or protection, sharing injection drug equipment, and perinatal transmission (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Despite advances in Antiretroviral treatments (ART) for HIV, there are still factors that are preventing individuals living with HIV/AIDS to maintain or suppresses …

Longitudinal Insights Into Student Behaviors And Program Impact: A Multi-Year Analysis Of Post-Program Surveys Pre- And Post-Covid-19, Brendan Bernard Charles Harmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance use is arguably the most pertinent concern for college students. The prolonged use of substances has consequences that may impact many aspects of one’s life. As a result of decades worth of research, multiple evidence-based interventions have been created to help aid college students. One of these interventions includes BASICS, Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students. This study examined experiences of the BASICS program participants with special attention to the impact of COVID-19. It used a convenience sample of 44 after-program survey respondents from 2015 to 2022 at a faith-based private university in Texas. This study found …

Impact Of Personalized Interactive Storytelling On Suspension Of Disbelief In Clinical Simulation, Audra Renee-Smith Xenakis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The literature review found suspension of disbelief (SOD) in clinical simulation heavily weighted on educators alone within high-fidelity environments. The project examined a co-created narrative background story applied to a simulated patient’s clinical profile to determine achieving an improved connectedness toward the simulated patient leading to enhanced SOD and enhanced levels of learning and reaction. The studied population was third-semester associate degree nursing students over 18 years of age with prior clinical simulation experience who were not repeating the semester. The research methodology used a quantitative experimental design with cluster sampling, randomization, and post-Likert-scored questionnaires. The intervention group co-created personalized …

Healthcare Workers’ Perceptions, Practices, And Knowledge Of Trauma-Informed Care In The Hospital Setting, Emily Gayle Tippens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Psychological trauma has become a pervasive term throughout the mental health field but has been slow to gain momentum in the healthcare field. Hospitals have always been a place where people with mental health concerns or psychosis seek help, but hospitals have historically not implemented a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach. As the mental health crisis continues to become more detrimental, trauma-informed care skills will become more valuable. This study measured the knowledge, opinions, perceptions healthcare professionals in West Texas have regarding trauma-informed care. This study hypothesized that healthcare workers in West Texas would benefit from TIC training. This study hypothesized …

Forming And Maintaining Intimate Friendships As A Twentysomething, Molly S. Burke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adulthood is a life stage of great change, and often instability in relationships and attachment (Demir et al., 2015; Lane et al., 2017; Shulman & Connolly, 2013). Intimate friendships can be a moderating factor and assistance in gaining stability and increasing life satisfaction (Demir, 2021; Demir et al., 2015; Sanchez et al., 2020). This study used grounded theory methodology (Creswell & Poth, 2018) to develop a model of the process which Twentysomethings undergo while forming and maintaining intimate, or best, friendships. Through interviews with best friend pairs, this study found three main phases of the best friend process: forming …

An Evaluation Of A Supportive Mentoring Program For Teenagers At-Risk Of Homelessness: Effects On Academic Performance And Psychosocial Functioning In A Pilot Study, Jordan Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of homelessness on adolescents’ psychosocial functioning and academic performance and explores the efficacy of mentoring programs as a potential intervention. This study aims to examine the potential of mentoring programs to improve the overall well-being of adolescents at risk of homelessness. Homelessness is often linked with negative outcomes in areas such as mental health, social functioning, and academic achievement. Therefore, this study seeks to understand whether mentoring programs can help mitigate these negative effects and promote positive outcomes in these areas. Quantitative assessments, utilizing pre-test and post-test measures, were employed to collect data from a …

Attitudes Towards Mental Health, Spiritual Seeking, And Well-Being, David Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Religion plays a crucial role in many peoples’ lives, shaping the way they interact with the world and react to stressors. The Relational Spirituality Model (Sandage & Shults, 2007) posits that individuals’ relationship with God resembles humans’ relationships with one another. That is, relationships consist of intimacy and closeness as well as independence and time away from each other, otherwise known as dwelling and seeking. Previous literature has analyzed the relationship between spiritual coping and well-being, yet none have analyzed the relationship between spiritual seeking and overall well-being using attitudes towards mental health as a moderator. Participants were 84 undergraduate …

Narratives Of Existence And The Narrative Existence: Ontological Unity In The Border Trilogy And Quantum Theory, Rebecca Leigh Mcintosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because the humanities and the sciences approach philosophical questions in contrasting ways, the study of literature and the study of physical science are often viewed as unrelated realms of scholarly inquiry. Science aims to provide a methodological approach for gathering knowledge about the world, while the humanities focus on criticism or analysis of cultural artifacts. However, even though the conceptual frameworks applied in scientific study and literary study are often incompatible or remarkably divergent, their methods for conceptualizing and transmitting ideas are the same, for humanity understands the world and experience of this world through narratives composed of referential metaphors. …

Goal Setting And Student Retention, Hugh Castillo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student retention has been a problem with which higher education institutions must face. Institutions have employed numerous different programs and services to improve student retention. This study sought to open up a new way to improve student retention by utilizing a goal-setting intervention that focused on creating SMART goals for student areas of weaknesses. This study employed the use of a quasi-experimental interrupted time series to better understand how goal-setting interventions could impact the participant attitudes correlated to retention. It was shown that goal-setting interventions had no significant impact on likelihood of retention but did exhibit improvement in client engagement …

The Effects Of Personal Growth Initiative, Grit, And Spirituality On Competition Anxiety In Student Athletes, Taylor Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Personal growth initiative (PGI) is an intrinsically motivated engagement in growth processes that contribute to their ability to excel in sporting performance (Robitschek, 1998), and PGI may also predict their grit as well. Like PGI, team cohesion influences both performance and well-being in athletes, and little research has explored how spiritually oriented coaching influences team cohesion. This study explored PGI, grit, competition anxiety, intrinsic motivation, and the impact of spiritual involvement in sports on team cohesion. A sample (N = 45) of collegiate athletes at private Christian universities completed self-report measures in a survey. PGI was not a significant predictor …