Digital Commons Network^™

The Sensationalizing Of Presidential Assassinations In Mass Media Throughout American History, Lindsay E. Smith

Undergraduate Theses

This project explores how mass media has shaped the public response to presidential assassinations across American history. By examining the deaths of Abraham Lincoln (1865), James A. Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901), and John F. Kennedy (1963), we can trace how evolving media technologies – such as newspapers, yellow journalism, radio broadcasts, and live television coverage – have sensationalized violence, politicized tragedy, and transformed periods of national mourning into mass spectacles. The thesis analyzes reporting methods, narrative framing, and the news industry to show how each has influenced emotional response, political landscapes, and eventual presidential legacy. Ultimately, we find that …

Cognitive And Mental Health Challenges: Addressing The Impact Of Traumatic Brain Injuries In Adults, Hannah E. Smith, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Phd, Otd, Otr, Anne Mcdonnell, Mpa, Otr/L, Cbist

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone examined the challenges adults face following traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and explored interventions aimed at enhancing cognitive functioning and mental health. This capstone also aimed to reduce caregiver stress and burnout by expanding knowledge and resources focused on cognitive and mental health within the population. TBIs can result from a variety of causes, affecting cognitive abilities, mental health, and functional outcomes. This capstone shows evidence-based interventions designed to improve cognitive functioning, facilitate engagement in meaningful activities to improve mental health, and enhance overall quality of life for adults recovering from TBI. This also will demonstrate potential for occupational …

The Impact Of Social Isolation On Community College Students' Learning Modality Preferences, Melinda F. Walker

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Melinda F. Walker on April 8, 2026.

Nursing Migration And The Global Workforce: How The U.S. Nurse Shortage Impacts Developing Countries, Mololuwa Faithful Lasekan

Honors Thesis

As United States (U.S.) healthcare organizations face persistent staffing gaps driven by an aging population, burnout, and limited educational capacity, many institutions increasingly rely on internationally educated nurses (IENs) to stabilize their workforce. This reliance intersects with longstanding structural challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where inadequate compensation and limited professional opportunities contribute to high migration intentions among nurses. Using a systematic literature review guided by PRISMA principles, this study synthesized evidence and five major themes emerged: (1) push factors driving nurse emigration from LMICs, (2) pull factors attracting nurses to the U.S., (3) digital globalization and post-COVID recruitment …

Should Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios Be Mandated?, Haley M. Gallup

DNP and Student Works

This paper argues that mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios are an ethical necessity within healthcare systems. Drawing on personal clinical experience, it is illustrated how inadequate staffing leads to rushed care, increased risk of errors, and diminished patient outcomes. The discussion is grounded in core healthcare ethics—beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice—emphasizing that nurses cannot consistently uphold these principles when overwhelmed by excessive workloads. Evidence from research is used to demonstrate that higher patient loads are associated with increased mortality rates, preventable complications, and decreased quality of care, while improved staffing enhances patient safety and nurse satisfaction. The paper also addresses the …

Staff Education To Improve Nursing Knowledge Of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention Practices, Maylin Fernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project, I used a staff education intervention to address nursing knowledge gaps related to catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention in a large outpatient urology clinic in the southeastern United States. Registered nurses (N = 28) participated in a single, 45-minute, in-person education session comprising PowerPoint slides, facilitated discussion, and printed job aids based on national guidelines. I used a single-group pre-/posttest design to evaluate the effect of the intervention. The primary outcome was staff knowledge measured using a paper-based, 17-item knowledge test administered immediately before and after the session. The secondary …

Association Between Childhood Exposure To Family Substance Abuse, Mental Health Issues, And Cervical Screening Among Women Ages 18-65 In South Carolina, Ashley Laine Hamm

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with adverse health outcomes in adulthood; however, less is known about their relationship with preventive health behaviors such as cervical cancer screening. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine associations between selected ACEs and cervical cancer screening among women aged 18–65 in South Carolina. Data were drawn from the 2020 South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and included 1,323 women. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to examine unadjusted and adjusted associations between ACE exposures and being up to date with Pap testing, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, income, …

The Association Between Advanced Technology Use And Quality Of Life Among Those With A Disability, Sarah Antus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Advanced medical technology use among individuals with physical disabilities remains understudied, creating a significant gap in understanding its impact on quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes across demographic and age groups. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine associations between advanced medical technology use, disability status, demographic factors (age, gender, and race/ethnicity), and QoL outcomes using 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. The sample included 9,254 individuals age 6 years and older with physical functional limitations and complete technology-use and QoL data. Advanced medical technology use was significantly associated with improved QoL (p < .001). Disability status demonstrated a statistically significant but modest association with technology use, OR = 0.84, 95% CI [0.83, 0.85], p < .001. Age-stratified analyses indicated that advanced technology use significantly predicted improved QoL among adults aged 20 years and older, OR = 6.90, 95% CI [6.89, 6.91], p < .001, but not among youths aged 6–19 years (p = .929). Gender was a significant predictor of technology use, with females having higher odds than males, OR = 1.07, 95% CI [1.06, 1.08], p < .001. Race/ethnicity was also significantly associated with technology use; compared with non-Hispanic White adults, Mexican American (OR = 0.43, 95% CI [0.42, 0.44], p < .001), other Hispanic (OR = 0.58, 95% CI [0.57, 0.59], p < .001), and non-Hispanic Black adults (OR = 0.79, 95% CI [0.78, 0.80], p < .001) had lower odds of advanced medical technology use. The study may inform health care stakeholders about strategies to promote equitable access to advanced medical assistive technologies for social change

Circuits And Enumeration Problems For Matroids, Christine H. Cho

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of work concerning the structure and enumeration of circuits and other distinguished sets in a matroid. The Tutte polynomial, recognized as the universal deletion-contraction invariant in matroid and graph theory, is a natural starting point when considering enumeration problems for matroids. The main result in Chapter 2 generalizes a theorem of Dean Lucas concerning the Tutte polynomial and its behavior under rank-preserving weak maps. This generalization provides an avenue for comparing the numbers of circuits, bases, rank-k flats, and hyperplanes of a matroid containing an element given two distinct, yet related, elements.

Chapter 3 addresses …

Street-Level Bureaucrats In Public Higher Education: The Ethical Obligations To Support Psychologically At-Risk Students, Michael Turtz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

To fill the gap in the current literature, the purpose of this dissertation was to explain how and why Street-Level Bureaucrats (SLBs) in public higher education helped psychologically at-risk students during the pandemic. This qualitative study was intended to examine the role of SLBs in public higher education as it relates to their utilization of administrative discretion when advising psychologically at-risk students. In addition to administrative discretion, this dissertation also explored the role of ethical obligations and the use of a therapeutic lens when SLBs are faced with some of the most difficult situations for which they were not equipped …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Novel Mt5-Mmp Inhibitors For Treatment Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Nicholas Borges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in the brain. Aβ oligomers are directly toxic to CNS synapses and can induce tau protein hyperphosphorylation, that causes NFT buildup. For these reasons, Aβ has been investigated as a therapeutic target, yet very few clinical trials have yielded effective drugs for AD treatment until now. Recently, the MT5-MMPmediated η-secretase pathway, which generates synaptotoxic Aη from amyloid precursor protein, has been reported (Wang et al 2024, Wilem et al 2015). Thus, pharmacologic inhibition of MT5-MMP …

Exploring Public Elementary School Educator Perceptions Of Student Goal Setting In The Classroom, Kelly A. Trottier

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

The academic success of elementary (Kindergarten–Grade 8) students is closely correlated to their persistence, perseverance through challenges, and meaningful engagement in learning. The motivation crisis in today's elementary classrooms is evident through rising absenteeism, increased disengagement, and declining academic performance, exacerbated by disruptions caused by COVID-19. Goal-setting strategies have been widely recognized in fields such as business and sports for improving motivation and performance, however, how educators implement these strategies remains underexplored. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of elementary educators who implemented goal-setting strategies in their classrooms. This research was guided by …

The Impact Of Doulason The Parental And Newborn Outcomes Of Black And Hispanic Birthing People: A Secondary Data Analysis, Nicole Amanquanor

ETD Collection

Black and Hispanic birthing people in the United States continue to experience disproportionately high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality compared with White birthing people, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to examine the impact of racially congruent doula support on the parental and newborn outcomes of Black and Hispanic birthing people in two urban safety-net hospitals. Quantitative data were derived from “The HoPE Doula Study”, a mixed-methods study conducted between June 2022 and December 2023, which followed 81 birthing people and 12 doulas across prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. …

The Impact Of A Mindfulness Meditation Program On Phq-9 Scores In Eskd Clients At The Dialysis Center, Christi Collins Weaver

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) experience high rates of untreated depressive symptoms, which negatively impact quality of life, treatment adherence, and therefore increased hospitalization and higher mortality rates.

PICOT: In adult patients receiving in-center hemodialysis (P), how does the implementation of a structured mindfulness meditation program (I), compared to usual care (C), affect depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (O) over an eight-week period (T)?

Evidence: Current literature demonstrates that depression is highly prevalent among individuals with ESKD and is associated with increased morbidity and decreased treatment adherence. Evidence supports mindfulness …

Strategies To Address Employee Shortages In Allied Health, John O. Delozier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Continuing shortages of allied health (AH) workers have become a critical business challenge for health care organizations, driven by an aging population, rising service demand, and the lasting effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. AH leaders remain concerned about meeting essential staffing requirements, as persistent recruitment and retention difficulties threaten the delivery of high-quality health care. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies successful health care leaders used to recruit and retain skilled AH employees. The participants were seven Maryland health care leaders with experience successfully implementing recruitment and retention strategies …

Effective Postmerger Strategies To Enhance Shareholder Value In The Banking Industry, Olajide Farouq Adenrele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bank mergers continue to produce unintended declines in shareholder value, posing risks to financial stability, customer confidence, and long-term competitiveness in the southeastern United States. This challenge is especially critical for senior banking leaders, who must ensure that postmerger activities strengthen rather than undermine institutional performance. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to examine the business strategies used by bank leaders in the southeastern United States to mitigate the unintended negative effects of postmerger activities on shareholder value. The study, grounded in agency theory, involved six senior bank leaders responsible for merger integration in the region. Data from …

Strategies To Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening In Rural Primary Care Clinics, Brenda Sue Holland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are lower in rural areas than in urban settings. Individuals in rural areas have lower screening rates due to geographic isolation, provider shortages, and socioeconomic barriers. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify and synthesize best practices for implementing evidence-based strategies to increase CRC screening rates in rural primary care clinics. A systematic literature search across multiple databases identified 24 relevant articles published between 2019 and 2025. The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Model (JHEBPM) rated articles for evidence and quality, while the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) guided the analysis. Thematic analysis identified four …

Perceptions Of Parents And Guardians Surrounding The Inclusion Of Their Autistic Child In The General Education Setting, Alyssa L. Napier

Undergraduate Theses

The prevalence of autistic students being taught in general education classrooms continues to rise, which emphasizes the need for strong and purposeful inclusive education. The characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (e.g., resistance to change and routines, difficulty in relationship building, sensitivity to environmental stimuli, etc.) can create challenges in the classroom setting that ultimately may impede social and academic growth. Having adequate knowledge and understanding about these challenges is important for teachers as they plan high-quality, differentiated instruction. Considerable amounts of existing literature examine teachers’ perceptions of inclusion, suggesting many general education teachers feel unprepared to meet the needs of …

Examining Moderators In The Relationship Between Injury/Injury Anxiety And Eating Disturbances In College Women Athletes, Lydia M. Reichley

Undergraduate Theses

Introduction: Injury and injury-related anxiety are common in collegiate athletes and may contribute to maladaptive psychological and behavioral outcomes, including eating disturbances. This study examined the relationship between injury/injury anxiety and eating disturbances, and whether athletic identity, injury self-efficacy, and body shame moderated this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used with 57 female collegiate and club athletes from Bellarmine University (M age = 19.98 + 1.37). Participants completed an online survey including the Sport Injury Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBC; …

Implications Of Leisure Activities On Veterinarian Mental Health Outcomes, Kevin Garuccio

Undergraduate Theses

While there are many professions that are stressful enough to be linked with negative mental health outcomes, few measure up to the mental dangers of veterinary medicine, with suicide rates twice that of the dental and medical professions and four times that of the general population (Stoewen, 2015). The current study aimed to focus on veterinarians and their mental health. While there have been a few studies done about the veterinary workplace, none thus far have investigated how veterinarians are spending their leisure time outside of work and how it could be impacting their mental health. The current study was …

Can The Implementation Of The Pause Decrease Death Anxiety And Poor Mental Health In Practicing Nurses?, Lilli Meyer

Undergraduate Theses

Practicing nurses are frequently exposed to patient death, placing them at increased risk for death anxiety and compromised mental health. Despite this, there remains a lack of structured, in-the-moment interventions to support emotional processing within clinical settings. This study evaluates whether the implementation of “The Pause,” a brief moment of silence following a patient’s death, may reduce death anxiety and improve mental health outcomes among practicing nurses. A quantitative survey consisting of eight questions was distributed to nurses in the Louisville, Kentucky area over a three-month period, yielding 26 responses. Findings indicated that 80.8% of participants reported no improvement or …

How Gender Impacts Mock Jurors’ Receptiveness To Aggravating And Mitigating Evidence In Capital Trials, Jolie E. Parker

Undergraduate Theses

This study examines how gender influences mock jurors’ receptiveness to aggravating and mitigating evidence in capital trials. Drawing on prior research that highlights the critical role of mitigation in reducing death sentences and persistent gender differences in death penalty attitudes, this study addresses a gap in the literature by analyzing how gender shapes responses to specific types of evidence rather than general support for capital punishment. Using a quantitative survey of 209 participants, the research analyzes Likert-scale responses measuring how various aggravating and mitigating factors impact sentencing preferences. Results indicate a weak but consistent relationship between gender and receptivity to …

Gender And Emotional Expression In The Courtroom: Mock Juror Perceptions Of Attorney Effectiveness, Emma Cantrell

Undergraduate Theses

This quantitative study examines how gender and emotional expression influence mock jurors' perceptions of an attorney's courtroom effectiveness. Using mock jurors, this study extends previous research suggesting that assertiveness and emotional displays are evaluated differently by gender. Participants were randomly assigned to view one of four closing statements in a mock burglary trial. The videos were of either a male or a female attorney delivering a passive or an aggressive argument. Participants then evaluated the attorney’s effectiveness across four categories: competence, persuasiveness, ability to instill confidence, and emotionality. Male participants generally rated female attorneys as less effective than female participants …

Design And Implementation Of A Customer Retention And Voice Ai System For El Nopal, Brando Medina

Undergraduate Theses

This Honors Applied Thesis documents the design and implementation of a live Customer Retention and Voice AI System for El Nopal, a full-service restaurant, to improve customer follow-up, routine communication handling, and cross-channel engagement. The project was developed for El Nopal’s Tyler Center location on Taylorsville Road and focused on building a practical artifact rather than primarily evaluating long-term business outcomes. The completed v1 system consists of three modules: a Customer Retention System centered on a QR-based VIP rewards workflow, a Voice AI System for routine phone support, and a Cross-Channel Integration Layer that connects voice interactions to CRM-based SMS …

Elementary-Level Achievement And Compliance Coach Training Manual, Tara B. White

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Tara B. White on April 7, 2026.

Gas Lift Valve Operation Under Elevated Pressure And Temperature Conditions, Pedro O. De Melo Flores

LSU Master's Theses

Gas lift valves are critical components in artificial lift systems, and their performance directly influences well unloading efficiency and long-term production. Current industry models used to correct valve opening and closing pressure for temperature rely on assumptions that have not been extensively validated against experimental data. This study experimentally investigates the opening and closing behavior of injection pressure-operated (IPO) gas lift valves under controlled elevated-temperature conditions. A load rate test bench was modified to include a heating system capable of maintaining valve temperatures up to 220°F. Five gas lift valve designs from multiple manufacturers were tested over a range of …

The Mommy Wine Culture: A Scoping Review Using The Person-Environment-Occupational Model., Sabina Khan

Student Dissertations

Maternal alcohol use as a coping response to parenting-related stress has received growing attention in public health and psychology but remains underexplored within occupational therapy. This gap limits understanding of how daily role demands, environmental pressures, and individual vulnerabilities combine to shape drinking as a functional coping behavior. This dissertation aimed to identify and synthesize factors associated with maternal alcohol use in the context of parenting stress and interpret these determinants using the person–environment–occupation model. A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework and reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Five databases were systematically searched without date or …

Organic Photocatalysts For Desulfurization Of Fuels, A K M Maksudul Hasan

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Desulfurization of fuels is a critical process for reducing sulfur contents in petroleum-based fuels to mitigate environmental pollution and meet the regulatory standards. Among various pollutants, Sulfur is the deadliest as inhaling leads to coughing, shortness of breath, sinus problem as well as the death of brain cells. Petroleum has a number of organosulfur derivatives, for example in crude oil (0.1 to 6wt% sulfur), which should be removed before using in combustion engines and other applications. High sulfur containing petroleum products used in engines and power plants would lead to the formation of sulfurdioxide (SO2) which would contribute to the …

Staff Education To Improve Nursing Knowledge Of Follow-Up Adherence Support Strategies In A Large Outpatient Urology Clinic, Ivette Dieguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Site monitoring identified inconsistent adherence to scheduled follow-up care as an operational concern, underscoring the need for standardized nursing strategies to enhance follow-up communication. This staff education project aimed to determine whether a focused educational intervention could improve nursing knowledge of adherence support strategies, with confidence measured as a secondary outcome. Guided by the ADDIE instructional design model and the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model, the project was implemented in a large outpatient urology clinic with 18 participating registered nurses. Participants completed anonymous paper-based pretests and posttests surrounding a single 45-minute, live group education session. Educational content covered common barriers …

Experiences Of Classroom Teachers’ Technology Use During And After A Pandemic, William Primrose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem explored in this study was that during the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers began using new or existing technology for which they were unprepared. Framed by Davis’ technology acceptance model (TAM), the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the experiences of middle school teachers’ technology use during and after the pandemic, including their perceived usefulness of the technology in their classrooms, their intended use of the technology moving forward, and what support they may need from administration to continue using technology consistently. Data was collected through interviews with 10 teachers who taught during and after the COVID-19 …