Digital Commons Network^™

Material Affecting Design (Mad): How Living Biomaterials Reshape Computational Design Through Biological Transformation, Abolhassan Pishahang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Living biomaterials grow during fabrication, making strategy selection a design problem distinct from conventional form-making. This dissertation investigates how Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium and Triticum aestivum plant roots reshape the computational design process through their biological behavior. The central argument is that when a designer works with living matter, the material participates in forming, changing the decisions made, the strategies chosen, and the framework required. This relationship between biological transformation and computational design is named the Material Affecting Design (MAD) framework. The research was conducted through a research-through-design methodology grounded in American pragmatist philosophy, particularly the work of Dewey, James, and …

A Foresight Study For The Future Of Higher Education Models In The United Arab Emirates: Moving Beyond Degrees By 2035, Yaser Mohammed Ebrahim Essa

Theses

Higher education systems worldwide are facing increasing pressure to change beyond traditional degree-based models in response to rapid technological advancement, artificial intelligence disruption, and shifting labour market demands. Although the United Arab Emirates has made significant investments in higher education and has a clear vision for a knowledge-based economy, a growing gap between graduate skills and employer needs continues to limit the system’s effectiveness. This thesis explores how the UAE higher education system can move beyond traditional degree models and develop more flexible, skills-based, and future-ready learning systems by 2035. The thesis focuses on how new learning models, such as …

Blended Learning Development In Mongolian K-12 Education: A Systematic Review And Psychometric Study Of Teacher Readiness, Batbold Bukhchuluun

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines blended learning (BL) in Asian K-12 education through a systematic review and an empirical validation study in Mongolia. The first study reviews peer-reviewed K-12 BL research published between 2000 and 2024 using PRISMA procedures. We analyzed 42 studies to identify publication trends, geographic representation, BL model adoption, articulation of physical and pedagogical design layers, implementation challenges, and reported outcomes. Findings indicate that BL research is concentrated in a limited number of countries, frequently employs flipped learning models, and often lacks detailed pedagogical specification. Common challenges include infrastructure limitations, teacher preparedness, and institutional support. The second study adapts …

School And Community-Based Mentoring: How Christian Principals Facilitate Connections For Socially Isolated Adolescents, Kellee Murrell

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

The dissertation focuses on research on adolescent social isolation and on the practices of Christian principals in implementing mentoring programs. Existing Christian and secular mentoring programs are analyzed to assess their effectiveness. The design of a pilot mentoring program tailored to the unique responsibilities of Christian principals, incorporating spiritual and emotional development, is presented. Developing mentoring programs and responding to vulnerable students are clear ways Christian school principals embody Christ’s love, justice, and concern. A contribution of this dissertation is that adolescent social isolation not only affects developmental growth but is also a moral issue.

Principals' Perceived Leadership Training For Inclusive K-12 Education, Lettie E. Webster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adequate training and professional development enhance school principals’ effectiveness in leading inclusive K-12 schools. The problem addressed in this study was the gap in the literature on K-12 principals’ perceptions of the essential elements of preparation and ongoing professional development needed for effective leadership in inclusive educational settings. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore K-12 school principals’ perceptions of essential components of preparation for effective leadership and the role of ongoing professional development in enhancing their effectiveness as leaders in inclusive educational settings. Beard’s engaged school leadership theory served as the conceptual framework. For this basic qualitative …

The Role Of Rhyme In Children’S Word Learning, Tengwen Fan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rhyme increases the phonological similarity of phrases individuals hear and enhances recall from working memory. The present study explores whether rhyme aids word learning in children and examines the underlying neural mechanisms through which rhyme facilitates word learning. Thirty-four children between 6 and 8 years old completed a word learning task where they were exposed to 15 nonwords (NWs), four times each, in the sentence-final position as their EEG was recorded. Participants were randomly assigned to either a Rhyme or No-Rhyme group, where the NWs rhymed or did not rhyme with a prime real word in the sentence, respectively, during …

Seasonal Molecular And Secretory Responses Of Equine Ovarian Follicles To Estradiol And Sulpiride Treatment, Madalyn Autin

LSU Master's Theses

Mares entering seasonal anovulation during winter present a significant challenge for equine breeding programs. Treatment with estradiol cypionate (ECP) and sulpiride in a long-acting vehicle can advance the first ovulation of the season; however, the molecular and secretory mechanisms underlying this response remain unclear. This study compared follicle wall gene expression and endocrine factors (from blood plasma and follicular fluid) among seasonally anovulatory mares responding to ECP-sulpiride (RESP; n = 15, treated with 50 mg ECP and 3 g sulpiride), mares undergoing natural spring transition (ST; n = 16, vehicle-treated only), and mares cycling during the summer ovulatory season (SOV; …

Privacy-Preserving Intrusion Detection For The Internet Of Medical Things Using Ensemble And Federated Learning, Theyab Alsolami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid proliferation of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) has transformed healthcare by enabling continuous monitoring, intelligent diagnostics, and data-driven clinical decision-making. However, this increased connectivity has significantly expanded the attack surface of healthcare systems, exposing sensitive patient data and critical medical devices to cyber threats such as intrusion and data exfiltration attacks. Ensuring both strong security and strict privacy preservation in IoMT environments remains a fundamental and unresolved challenge.

This dissertation investigates the design and evaluation of robust and privacy-preserving intrusion detection systems (IDS) for IoMT networks using advanced machine learning techniques. The research first examines the effectiveness …

Impact Of Asphalt Binder Chemical Composition On The Performance Of Asphalt Mixture., Sagar Parajuli

LSU Master's Theses

Asphalt binder is composed of four chemical fractions, namely, saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes (SARA). Binders with the same performance grade (PG) can exhibit different chemical compositions due to variability in crude oil sources and refining processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate how such chemical variations influence the mechanical performance of asphalt mixtures at high, intermediate and low temperatures.

Eighteen 12.5-mm nominal Maximum Aggregate Size mixtures were designed using two aggregate types (limestone and gravel), and three binder grades (PG 67-22, PG 70-22m and PG 76-22m), each from three different sources with varying chemical fractions. A suite …

Explainable Machine Learning For Biomedical Diagnostics: Optical Imaging And Eeg Signal Analysis, Fozia Rajbdad

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The growing convenience of complex biomedical data begins new roads for better disease detection and functional identification via artificial intelligence (AI). Nevertheless, conventional analysis methods often rely on basic metrics that drop sensitive biotic differences, and various AI systems are difficult to infer, limiting their clinical reliability and practical use. There is a growing need for explainable, physiologically relevant computational models that can extract key biomarkers from diverse biomedical data sources. This dissertation addresses this problem by obtaining explainable machine learning and deep learning procedures for studying biomedical signals and optical imaging data.

This dissertation is divided into two parts; …

A Detailed Characterization Of Exoplanet Host Stars And Their Planets With The Chara Array, Ashley A. Elliott

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There exists a vastly diverse compilation of exoplanetary systems; ranging from planets the size of Earth to planets larger than Jupiter, planets with or without an atmosphere, planets with rocky compositions to planets with gaseous compositions, and more. Enough planets have been discovered and confirmed to enable statistically reliable statements about demographics, formation mechanisms, planetary properties, etc., all of which require reliable exoplanet parameters. Properly characterizing and understanding these worlds first requires accurate measurements of their host star fundamental properties as exoplanets were, at some point in time, under the direct influence of their host stars. Direct measurements of stars …

A Modest Proposal For Discourse Analysis In Nonbinary Communities: Method And Case Study, Nikoli Michael Daigneault

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While linguists have long used discourse analysis to study language variation in binary and nonnormative gender groups, nonbinary people have often been excluded from analyses or treated without a nonbinary-informed framework. Nevertheless, nonbinary language use can provide key insights into the relationship between gender and language. In this thesis, I propose Nonbinary Discourse Analysis, a set of recommendations and best practices for conducting discourse analysis in nonbinary communities. These methods are informed by previous empirical research on nonnormative gender identities and theoretical work in trans linguistics (Zimman, 2020) and trans epistemologies (Nordmarken, 2019; Raclaw, in press). To demonstrate the methodology, …

Transcriptomic And Genomic Insights Into Nutrient Stress Responses And Subgenome Evolution In Chenopodium, Ashley Kathleen Marcheschi

Theses and Dissertations

Chenopodium is a diverse genus of nutritionally and ecologically important species in the Amaranthaceae family. This thesis investigates two outstanding questions in the genus: how Chenopodium quinoa responds transcriptionally to nutrient deficiency and how Australian Chenopodium species are related through their subgenomic ancestry and evolutionary history. First, we characterized transcriptomic responses of C. quinoa to deficiencies of twelve essential macro- and micronutrients across leaf and root tissues using RNA sequencing. Leaves showed the strongest responses under nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, and zinc deficiency, while roots responded more evenly across conditions. Recurring responses included suppression of photosynthesis, remodeling of translational machinery, reactive …

Residual Effects Of Childhood Sexual Victimization On Black Caribbean Immigrants’ Adult Functionality, Sophia Elaine Profit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood sexual victimization is associated with long-term psychological, emotional, and functional challenges that may persist into adulthood. Despite a growing body of literature on childhood trauma, limited research has explored its residual effects on adult functionality among Black Caribbean immigrants. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the residual effects of childhood sexual victimization on adult functionality among Black Caribbean immigrants. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 9 participants through social media platforms. Rational choice theory served as the conceptual framework to examine how trauma-related and sociocultural factors shaped participants' decision-making processes. Data were collected …

Food And Drug Administration Audit Outcomes And Their Association With Class I And Class Ii Food Recalls, Mark Baker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Foodborne illness and food recalls remain major public health concerns in the United States. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the purpose of this quantitative secondary analysis was to examine whether Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection classifications, warning letters, and prior 24-month inspection frequency were associated with facility involvement in a subsequent Class I or Class II food recall. Question-specific analytic files were created from publicly available FDA administrative records. Eligible records included FDA-regulated food facilities with qualifying inspection or warning letter events and sufficient data to assess recall involvement within a 12-month follow-up period. The final analytic …

Perceived Level Of Preparedness For A Terrorist Event Between State, Local And Tribal Law Enforcement Officers, Herbert Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this quantitative cross-sectional study, differences in perceived preparedness among state, local, and tribal law upon Kingdon’s multiple streams approach and Baumgartner and Jones’ punctuated equilibrium theory to explain administrative changes in law enforcement following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Data were collected from 53 full-time police officers across state, local and tribal agencies using a web-based survey instrument measuring enforcement officers in a northern border region were examined. Officers’ perceived preparedness to identify, prevent, and respond to future terrorist threats were evaluated. Whether perceived preparedness differed by agency type and whether officers with military experience or advanced homeland security …

Administrative Discharge Strategies To Decrease Readmission Rates Of Black Patients In Acute Care Hospitals, Patricia Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High 30-day hospital readmission rates among Black patients remain a healthcare administration problem associated with high costs and poor care quality. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify evidence-based discharge planning strategies to reduce hospital readmissions among Black patients. The review question was used to examine strategies healthcare administrators can implement to enhance discharge planning for Black patients. Donabedian’s structure-process-outcome model guided the review. A literature search yielded 87 relevant articles; 27 articles published from 2021 through 2026 were appraised using the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model, and 25 were used in this review. Thematic analysis resulted in …

Grit And Psychological Well-Being As Predictors Of Job Persistence Among K–12 Teachers In The United States, Tina Marie Sheppard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout the United States, K–12 public school teachers are leaving the profession, contributing to teacher shortages and instability in classrooms and schools. Teacher persistence is critical to student success, yet little was known about the nature of the predictive relationship between grit and psychological well-being on job persistence among K–12 public school teachers in the United States. Guided by the framework of positive psychology, the purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental correlational study was to investigate the nature of the predictive relationship between the independent variables grit, as measured by the 12-Item Grit Scale, and psychological well-being, as measured by the …

The Lived Experiences Of The Flint Water Crisis And Its Psychological Effects, Joe W. Glenn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Flint, Michigan, water crisis of 2014, with lead contamination of drinking water, adversely affected predominantly Black, socioeconomically disadvantaged residents. However, no research has investigated residents’ experiences, especially their trust in local and state government leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the Flint water crisis and its psychological effects. Rawls’s theory of justice provided the framework for the study. Three research questions guided this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study. Information from eight Flint residents was collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis followed Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological steps. Five strong themes emerged: understanding individual perceptions, views …

General And Special Education Teachers’ Experiences With The Implementation Of Inclusive Education, Katie Chardoussin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some elementary special education and general education teachers in New Jersey struggle to implement inclusion programs. The purpose of this study was to explore special and general education teachers’ experiences with the challenges they encountered teaching in inclusion classrooms. The conceptual framework for this study was Anderson’s ecology of inclusive education, which highlighted the importance of students having meaningful relationships with their peers. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 19 participants, of whom eight were special education teachers, and 11 were general education teachers. Through inductive coding, the following three themes emerged: Special education and general …

How Female Leaders Perceive The Influence Of Gender On Career Advancement In The Indonesian Construction Industry, Jadeviput Suwanarat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women who work in leadership positions in the construction industry in Indonesia face gender related challenges. Grounded in Acker’s theory of gendered organizations, this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study examined how women leaders experience and interpret gender-related workplace challenges. I collected data through semistructured interviews with nine women leaders in the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Area and analyzed the data using the modified van Kaam method. Manual coding produced seven emergent themes. Key findings showed that gender inequality is embedded in organizational culture, policies, and everyday practices rather than occurring as isolated incidents. Women leaders reported heightened scrutiny, the need to continually …

Higher Education Faculty’S Perceptions On Generative Artificial Intelligence Use In Teaching And Learning Practices, Inez Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is that higher education (HE) faculty are challenged to integrate generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in their teaching and learning practices. Grounded in Mishra and Koehler’s technological, pedagogical and content knowledge framework and Knowles’ theory of andragogy, the purpose of this study was to explore HE faculty’s perceptions on their content, andragogical, and technological knowledge and their instructional strategies used in integrating GenAI. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with nine HE faculty who self-identified as having at least 3 years of teaching and GenAI usage experience from across the …

Continuous 1:1 Sitter Observation Versus Standard Safety Interventions To Reduce Falls In Hospitalized Adults At Risk, Zainab Williams

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Patient falls remain a significant patient safety concern among hospitalized adults, particularly those at high risk. Traditional fall-prevention strategies, including continuous 1:1 sitter observation, require evaluation to determine their effectiveness in reducing falls and fall-related injuries.

PICOT: In hospitalized adult patients at high risk for falls (P), does continuous 1:1 sitter observation (I), compared to standard safety interventions (C), reduce fall rates (O) as measured by reported falls per 1,000 patient days during hospitalization over 12 weeks (T)?

Evidence: Current evidence supports multifactorial fall-prevention programs that combine patient assessment, staff engagement, and proactive nursing interventions through intentional rounding. …

Nitrogen Management Strategies For Specialty Tea Production In Louisiana: Rate, Source Type, And Nutrient Dynamics, Autumn D. Hilderbrand

LSU Master's Theses

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is an emerging specialty crop in Louisiana and the southeastern United States; however, region-specific nitrogen (N) management recommendations remain limited. This research evaluated N fertilizer source, application rate, and nutrient leaching to identify management strategies that improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and environmental sustainability during tea establishment.

Three complementary studies evaluated N source replacement, application rate, and fertilizer source effects on nutrient retention and movement. The first study evaluated the replacement of urea ammonium sulfate (UAS) with blood meal (BM) while maintaining a constant annual N application rate. Fertilizer replacement did not significantly affect leaf …

Characterization Of Various Corrosion-Resistant Rebars Embedded In Concrete After 20 Years Of Exposure, Samantha Mavrak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In aggressive marine environments, the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures is primarily caused by chloride-induced corrosion of embedded carbon steel reinforcement, resulting in concrete cracking, spalling, and costly maintenance or premature replacement. Corrosion-resistant reinforcement has been developed to mitigate these effects; however, long-term field performance data remain limited. This study evaluates the long-term corrosion performance of several corrosion-resistant rebars embedded in simulated deck slab concrete specimens following approximately 20 years of chloride exposure.

Concrete specimens containing 304SS, 316SS, and 2304 duplex SS, two types of clad reinforcement (316SS with carbon steel core), and an intermediate alloy with 12% Cr were …

Movement And Distribution Dynamics Of Predatory Fishes In The St. Lucie Estuary, Sarah Fae Leonowicz Torre

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Estuaries are productive but highly variable ecosystems that support recreationally and commercially valuable fisheries, as well as species of conservation concern. However, coastal development, habitat loss, altered freshwater inflow, and declining water quality can modify the environmental gradients that structure fish distributions. In the St. Lucie River and southern Indian River Lagoon, located in southeast Florida, managed freshwater discharges, watershed runoff, shoreline modification, and degradation of essential fish habitats (e.g., seagrass, oyster, and mangrove forests) have altered estuarine conditions.

This dissertation evaluates how four estuarine fish species with contrasting life histories respond to environmental variability, hydrologic disturbance, and habitat structure …

Developing An Understanding Of Concavity Built On Covariation, Jade E. Gregg

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how six students developed a quantitative understanding of concavity founded in covariational reasoning through a series of task-based teaching interviews. A key finding was the importance of multivariational reasoning--the coordination of more than two variables--in helping students reason deeply about concavity in context. Common difficulties, including confusion about negative rates and overreliance on visual representations, served as productive opportunities for learning when addressed through carefully designed tasks and discussions. The findings extend existing frameworks of covariational reasoning and highlight instructional approaches that can support students in developing a robust, quantity-based understanding of concavity.

Health Disparities, Early Intervention, And Neurodevelopmental Outcomes In Preterm Infants, Samantha Dora Pescatore

ETD Collection

Preterm infants are at a higher risk for a variety of health complications due to their underdeveloped organ systems and neurological systems. While the survival of preterm infants has greatly improved due to the advances of modern medicine, these infants are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental delays when compared to full term infants due to risk factors that accompany preterm birth, such as low birth weight, brain immaturity, nutritional challenges, and more (Behrman & Butler., 2007; Chung et al., 2020; Rubens et al., 2014; Song, I. G., 2022;). Research suggests that early intervention services can influence the development, health, education, …

Climate Anxiety And Nurses’ Awareness, Motivation, And Behaviors In Addressing Climate-Related Health Risks, Sarah Kaplan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Climate anxiety, the emotional distress associated with awareness of climate change and its consequences, is an emerging mental health concern that may influence how nurses perceive and respond to climate-related health risks. Climate change is largely driven by emissions of greenhouse gases which radiate and absorb heat. Human-caused climate change is leading to higher average global temperatures and increasing risk to health through poor air quality, changes in vector borne diseases, extreme weather events, and exacerbation and development of physical and mental illnesses. This study contributes to nursing science by examining climate anxiety and climate related health practices among …

The Perceived Professional Impact Of Exposure To Stress Experienced By Mental Health Therapists During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Bianca J. Reaves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

COVID-19 changed the methods in which therapy was traditionally delivered. Mental health therapists switched from in-person to virtual sessions during the pandemic. There was a gap in research related to stress levels of mental health therapists in the telehealth field. Adaptations were made by mental health therapists to provide services and as a result virtual platforms were used to connect with the community served. This qualitative research study was an exploration of mental health therapists perceived responses to stress or burnout in relation to a global pandemic. The theoretical foundation used to assess perceived stress is the Stress Theory. The …