Digital Commons Network^™

Addiction Recovery: An Exploration Of Therapeutic Community Impact In Brazil, Lyndsay Michelle Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of substance abusers continues to rise in Brazil, it is increasingly critical to thoroughly assess the change efforts being made in response to the national issue. Therapeutic communities are one of the leading solutions to the addiction crisis. There are a vast number of such organizations, yet relapse rates remain high, and the number of substance abusers consistently increases. Individuals seeking long-term sobriety and a sense-of-meaning in life may not be able to depend entirely on the current efforts offered for addiction recovery. This phenomenological qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews to examine the strategies and measures for …

Metrodiplomacy: The Nexus Of Foreign Policy And Cities, Blake Ledna

Theses and Dissertations

As the international system is splintering, so too is the traditional understanding of the role of cities in foreign affairs. In the face of rapid urbanization, global political fragmentation, and shifting geopolitical spheres of influence, cities are becoming a focal point of analysis in the modern era. Traditional international relations (IR) theory has long equated states and their central governments as the main actors in diplomacy and foreign policy. However, as the role of municipal foreign policy involvement has expanded into mainstream political discourse, some scholars have modified this orthodox view of subnational entities as mere pawns in international affairs. …

Political Consultants, Negative Advertisements, And The Mitten State, Spenser Horton

Theses and Dissertations

The 2012 Presidential election pitted the incumbent Barack Obama against the former Governor of Massachusetts and Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. Fresh off of a historic first term as the United States’ first and only African-American President, Obama was looking to secure another four years in the White House. The public faces of these campaigns, however, blocked from the view of the important, behind the scenes role of political consultants. The political consulting industry has come to be a main feature of campaigns. In the 2012 Presidential election, “consulting firms billed federal candidates, parties and super PACs more than $3.6 billion …

Spatial Genetic Structure And Local Adaptation Within And Among Foxtail Pine (Pinus Balfouriana Subsp. Balfouriana) Populations Located In The Klamath Mountains, California, Rebecca D. Piri

Theses and Dissertations

Foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) is a subalpine conifer endemic to California, notably separated into two disjunct subspecies. Previous studies have described the northern subspecies,Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana,as having an uncommonly high level of genetic differentiation and no discernible spatial patterns in phenotypic variation. This study seeks to characterize the spatial genetic structure and patterns of selection of the northern subspecies (Pinus balfouriana subsp. balfouriana) using genome-wide data and to identify the influence of ecology and environment on the unique genetic patterns. I show that genetic differentiation among populations is much less than previously estimated …

Between The Lines, Yu Su

Theses and Dissertations

Belonging comes from the act of active listening that goes beyond borders of nationality, gender, race, sexuality, beyond the first glance. Listening creates a bond of trust that helps us find understanding and compassion.

I feel I belong when I am listening and being listened to, when both ends extend towards the other and meet half way, when neither part is afraid. I belong thanks to my friends that together have helped me create a home in a multitude of displacement.

Look, listen. Look beyond the images, listen between the lines.

Testing For Cryptic Diversity And Inference Of Population Structure In The Cosmopolitan Hoplonemertean Emplectonema Gracile (Nemertea), Paul L. Delaney Iv

Theses and Dissertations

Emplectonema gracile (Johnston 1837) is a hoplonemertean of marine intertidal hard-bottom communities and is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Although possessing a planktonic larval stage in its life history, the range of such cosmopolitan marine invertebrate species is often explained by cryptic speciation and anthropogenic transport. The purpose of this study is to test for possible cryptic species using mtDNA markers (COI and 16S rDNA) and to investigate population structure in E. gracile over a portion of its geographic range using mtDNA markers and ddRADseq nuclear SNP data. The results of both phylogenetic- and tree-based species delimitation revealed that E. …

Authentic Leadership, Employee Engagement, And Trust At A Major Logistics Service Company, John C. Mason

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods study examined the correlation between authentic leadership among management and employee engagement among unionized hourly workers in a major logistics service company and examined the factor of trust between management and union workers. Within a context of positive organizational behavior, by analyzing and comparing results of the Authentic Leadership Inventory and the Employee Engagement Survey and conducting interviews within a business division, the study determined that there are high levels of authentic leadership, employee engagement, and trust with the district where the study took place. The qualitative part of the study found a very weak negative correlation …

China Study: Emerging Challenges In Social Security, Health Care, And Leadership (Volume Ii), Patrick D. Huff

Theses and Dissertations

China is poised to introduce sweeping innovation and disruptive social change onto their national stage. As China’s leadership, economic power, and authority increase the country will be subject to increasing internal and external challenges. This study seeks to identify the significant internal social challenges China is most likely to confront along its path to global leadership. The purpose is to explore and discover the social challenges that are likely to face China and to predict the direction the country’s leadership will take over the next decade. The study approaches the problem by undertaking an initial 9-step process of investigating 6 …

Out At Work: A Phenomenological Study Of Influencers In A Persons Choice To Self-Disclose Sexual Orientation In The Workplace, Norman Matthew Barbour

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study done through phenomenological and lived experience research, set out to further the understanding of out at work employees and explore the factors that most influenced their decision to come out in the workplace. 11 employees across the country who identified as out-at-work were interviewed and asked to describe the things that were most influential to them in the process of deciding whether to come out. Findings indicated that employees were motivated by a desire to help others by being out, the visibility of other out-at-work employees, and multiple supportive leadership behaviors. Employees also indicated that there were …

Enhancing Organizational Agility Within The Human Resources Function, Nathan Bushey

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational agility describes a firm’s dexterity in making necessary changes to sustain and enhance performance. This mixed methods study examined the nature of agility and the impacts of internal processes on agility within the human resources (HR) function of a telecommunications organization in the United States. Both survey and interview data were collected. Quantitative data were collected and statistically analyzed. Qualitative insights were coded to identify trends in the respective datasets. Study findings indicate the case organization had a moderate degree of agility and that its attunement to the external environment was variable. The data also suggested that leadership style, …

Understanding The Perceived Value Of Global Learning Experiences For Doctoral Leadership Students, Charles A. Gross

Theses and Dissertations

Foreign travel occupies a role in the development of global leadership, yet the function of higher education in that process is scarcely understood. This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study explored the perceived value that select doctoral students experienced during from their short-term course-based foreign travel. The first phase of the research included fifty students, while the second used a subset of 12 from the first phase. The students participated in an online quantitative survey, followed by optional interviews where the qualitative data were obtained. Quantitative and Qualitative research methods were used to analyze the data. The findings were presented in numerical …

Transit Access Equity In Richmond, Va, Rachel Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the extent of public transit access equity issues in Richmond, VA. The City of Richmond has an established public transportation network system, and the thesis explores the level of access for urban residents to use existing public transportation services. Technologies and programs have begun to emerge across the United States to help solve transit accessibility challenges. The thesis assesses the level of transit access equity that exists in Richmond and introduces technologies and services that could help improve accessibility and equity. The thesis uses a mixed methods approach that will consist of …

Exploring The Intersection Of Designing For Crime And The Future Of The Public Forum, Kathryn M. Benedict

Theses and Dissertations

As more public spaces are under the influence of private stakeholders in cities, it is important to consider the role, both financial and social, that these stakeholders have on the design of the physical space and the users of the space. This analysis will utilize a qualitative methodological approach to understand the contested redevelopment of a public park in Richmond, Virginia as it transitioned from a city-owned space to a public-private partnership. By gaining a better understanding of the major spheres of influence involved in the redevelopment, namely the large public university and the corporations adjacent to the space, it …

Proteinic Geontopower, Agustine Zegers

Theses and Dissertations

PGP is a study of how we come into intimate contact with capitalism through our digestive tract. It is a study of the increasing valuing of protein in contemporary diet culture, focusing on how this phenomenon has resulted in mass-scale global soya production. Protein synthesis and distribution are rearticulated in this work as a set of molecular transactions enacted within/out bodies, moving loosely through ligaments and industrial machinery.

PGP is a speculative exercise in communing with a damaged planet through our daily ingestions.

Regulation Of Cancer-Specific Mirnas By Mda-7/Il-24, Danielle Scheunemann

Theses and Dissertations

Melanoma differentiation associated gene 7/Interleukin-24 (MDA-7/IL-24) is a secreted cytokine which acts as a tumor suppressor. It is capable of selectively killing cancer cells, regardless of anatomic origin, while sparing normal cells. miRNAs are master regulators of gene expression that can play two roles in cancer: tumor-suppression and oncogenesis. We identified a number of miRNAs that are regulated by MDA-7/IL-24 using a PCR plate array containing probes for miRNAs known to play a role in prostate cancer. We independently validated the array with qRT-PCR to identify three miRNAs which are downregulated by MDA-7/IL-24 treatment in DU145, PC3, and PC3ML prostate …

Light In Community: A Study In The Adaptive Reuse Of Sacred Space, Abigail Barras

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MOTIVATION
American life is increasingly fragmented, leading to a sense of restlessness and disconnection. Much of that fragmentation can be traced to our pattern of architectural and sociological development, namely, the rise of the automobile suburbs in the 1950s and 60s and the abandonment of densely populated, human- scaled environments like that of the small town or city center (Oldenberg, 1999).

PROBLEM
Large numbers of architecturally significant buildings have fallen into disrepair over the years following the “white flight” of the 1960s and 70s, during which significant segments of investment dollars left city centers and followed to the suburbs …

Democratic Education And An Urban Teacher Residency: A Case Study, Bryan P. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of American schooling scholars note that democratic education and citizenship have not been abandoned, but perhaps marginalized or pushed aside, as test scores and achievement have become the most desired outcomes. Democratic education must move out of the margins and into high priority. The current political climate of increased division and divisiveness could not illustrate this need any more. Another well-documented challenge within the American educational system, particularly in high need areas is the need for highly qualified teachers. Urban Teacher Residency (UTR) programs have offered a possible solution to this growing problem in recruiting, training, and …

Motivational Interviewing In A Team-Based Wellness Clinic: Perceptions And Fidelity, Jodi M. Winship

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidenced based counseling style to elicit health behavior change. Team-based student clinics are an ideal climate for students to learn and practice team-based care, yet little is understood as to how client-centered communication styles such as MI are implemented in a team setting.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct an exploratory study using mixed methods to better understand how an MI training translates to team-based communication with clients, the factors impacting team-based implementation of MI, and how team-based MI impacts clients’ perceived autonomy at a student-led, interprofessional, team-based wellness clinic for …

An Analysis Of Selected Clusters Of Fires In Florida (1996 - 2018), Thomas Riley Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Hidden within the day-to-day routine responses of fire departments are possible multiple fires set by individuals in a small area with an unusual frequency. These fires may be the initial announcement of an emerging serial offender who is declaring a wound, an intolerable life situation, or is triggered by unknown events. This study sought to predict incendiary fires within a known cluster by using observable variables, both prior to and after the cluster event. This was done to further our understanding of the characteristics of clusters of intentionally lit fires. This was accomplished by examining the Florida Fire Information Reports …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Adoption Of Social Networking Platforms To Achieve Digital Literacy For All Learners, Anila Sweitzer

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this proposed phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions and experiences of teachers, administrators, and instructional technology professionals during integrations of social networking platforms for educational purposes to enhance classroom instruction focused on improved academic achievement and digital literacy. Specifically, the study focused on understanding the experiences of teachers, administrators, and instructional technology professionals within K-12 public school districts responsible for having implemented 21st-century technology skills into classroom instruction with the use of online interviews. This study was grounded on Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory as a framework with social networking platforms being the innovation.

The study …

Confidence In Law Enforcement When African-Americans Are Underrepresented On The Force: An Exploratory Study, Charles E. Maclean

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the prediction that when African-Americans are underrepresented among sworn officers in a community’s local law enforcement agencies compared to the African-American proportions in that community’s overall population, African-American civilians’ confidence in their local law enforcement agencies may suffer, leading to impaired respect for law, reduced civilian cooperation with law enforcement, and civilian impressions of weakened procedural justice and fairness. With low civilian confidence, the argument goes, one could expect an enhanced sense of disenfranchisement among the underrepresented sub-populations.

The purpose of this study is to consider the impact of underrepresentation of African-Americans among sworn officers serving a …

Implementing Edward De Bono’S Six Thinking Hats Intervention For Improving Reading Comprehension Skills For Students With Learning Disabilities (Sld), Annaliese Rosalie Hightower (Rollins)

Theses and Dissertations

This study proposed Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats as an intervention to enhance SLD students’ reading comprehension skills. The study described the Six Thinking Hats intervention as a method that used six diverse thought processes. A narrative review further discussed how the compilation of strategies is needed to help improve reading development skills for SLD students. Additionally, the study described several theoretical frameworks for the study: construction-integration model, event index model, and the metacognitive theory.

The study used a quantitative approach to answer the research questions that focused on comparing statistical differences between an experimental group and a control …

The Relationship Of Physical Activity And Perceived Fatigue In Men Receiving External Beam Radiation Therapy For Non-Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Timothy Charles Flory Fuss

Theses and Dissertations

Nature of the Problem/Study

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the United States, with 2.9 million men diagnosed with prostate cancer alive today (American Cancer Society, 2017). Given the rate of survival and substantial number of men living with prostate cancer, addressing symptoms and quality of life in these men is increasingly important.

Fatigue is reported to be the most distressing side effect of radiation therapy (RT), negatively effecting physical function and quality of life (Minton et al., 2013). Finding measures to predict, treat and help prevent fatigue can improve long term outcomes in cancer …

Photography Methods To Understand Rural Resilience And Environmental Literacy: The Example Of Fracking In The Bakken, Bruce Evan Farnsworth

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the social and environmental impacts of fracking through deep ethnographic interviews and observations with farmers and ranchers living and leasing on the Bakken and Three Forks shale oil formations of western North Dakota, currently the second largest oil-producing region in the United States. This study investigates how photographic methods such as photo elicitation, repeat photography, and aerial photographs/maps elicit local knowledge and testify to the resilience of ranchers and farmers challenged by oil development and the alteration of their environment. Motivated by heritage, political marginalization and the pervasive loss of ruralness, the participants express several roles, among …

Native And Indigenous Women Of Hawai'i: Exploring The Importance Of Indigenous Narratives And Storytelling To Understand Ancestral Knowledge Systems, Renuka Mahari De Silva

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains three articles. The research for these articles was conducted through many interviews and working directly in the communities from around the Island of O ‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Each article addresses a research topic that is connected to ancestral stories and historical events brought forward by women through stories and storytelling. These stories embed rich ancestral knowledge from a specific time and a specific place and space. In reading these articles, the reader is exposed to the power of story and storytelling, and how that in turn, reconnects people to places to learn from ancestral knowledge, and apply these …

Determination Of Maximum Scour Depth For Spur Dikes Based On A Validated Two-Dimensional Hec-Ras Model, Mathew Lee Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of spur dikes into a river flow field can have many far-reaching positive effects on the stability of a river channel. While the flow velocity directly at the spur dike tip or crest may increase, a large embayment area downstream of the spur dike will form with reduced flow velocities. Due to the increase in flow velocity at the spur dike, a scour hole will form. Scour is the leading cause of failure of hydraulic structures. In the past many hydraulic structures were tested by building scale prototype models, this method is very costly and hard to model …

A Neoclassical Realist’S Analysis Of Sino-U.S. Space Policy, Christopher David Fabian

Theses and Dissertations

During the Cold War, the United States focused its collective policy acumen on forming a competitive, actor-specific strategy to gain advantage over the Soviet Union. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union resulted in a multi-polar geopolitical environment lacking a near-peer rival for the United States. Overwhelming soft and hard power advantages allowed American policy makers to peruse a general, non-actor specific strategy to maintain its hegemonic position. However, the meteoric rise of China as a near-peer competitor in East Asia has challenged this paradigm. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, or at the very least ensure the safety of …

Hunting And Fishing Attitudes, Behaviors And Ethics Related To Gender And Aggression, Victoria Williams

Theses and Dissertations

To date, no empirical studies have investigated the relationship between psychopathology (or other constructs) pertaining to hunting and fishing attitudes, behaviors and ethics relating to gender and aggression. Although experienced outdoorspeople assumedly adhere to, or are at least aware of, general hunting and fishing codes of ethics, many disregard them. This study investigates the differences between men and women on these variables by utilizing a newly developed measure of hunting and fishing attitudes and beliefs, the Sportsperson Attitude Scale (SAS) (McDonald, Williams, Sargent & McDonald 2017). This measure was created in order to better understand the potential motivators and reinforcers …

Down By Law: A Demographic And Geographic Analysis Of Those Killed By Police, Scott W. Murrah

Theses and Dissertations

After the rebellion over the killing of Michael Brown, the US Justice Department reported that over-policing for the sake of monetary extraction was taking place in Ferguson, MO, with non-White and people in poverty being disproportionately targeted at the hands of the police. And while it has been shown to be present within the Ferguson community, this extraction and targeting by police is not a geographically isolated occurrence. Based on previous research, a racialized, economic-based system of oppression goes hand-in-hand with policing. But how do the qualities of these geographies affect the prominence and location of police violence on a …

Curators Of Place: Farmers' Narratives Of Sense Of Place And Learning, Matthew Alan Berosik

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation brings forth the idea that our attachment to place and the meanings behind those attachments could be well suited for implementation within formal agricultural education. The focus of this dissertation brings to light multi-generational family farmer’s attachment to the places they grew up and work on, as well as prepare their children and grandchildren to take on the role of ‘curator of place’. Throughout this dissertation, I lay the groundwork for inclusion of sense of place within formalized agricultural education by highlight just what sense of place is and the missing areas within current agricultural education. For this …