Digital Commons Network^™

Multifunctional Engineering Of Manganese Malate For Supercapacitors, Krithika M Ms

Theses and Dissertations

Supercapacitors are promising energy storage devices owing to their rapid charge-discharge capability and long cycle-life. Based on the charge storage mechanism, supercapacitors are broadly categorised into electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), pseudocapacitors and hybrid capacitors. In this work, manganese malate (MnM) is systematically developed as a versatile electrode material for supercapacitor applications through rational synthesis, textural engineering, compositional modification, phase transformation and sustainable resource utilisation.

In Chapter 2, MnM was electrodeposited onto stainless-steel foil via chronoamperometry at 2, 3 and 4 V. MnM electrodeposited at 2 V (MnM2) exhibits a specific capacitance of 186 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 with …

Fuel Tank Seismic Stability Program-Informed Displacement Maps Of Portland's Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, Ana Tijerina Esquino

Dissertations and Theses

Oregon's Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub in northwest Portland contains a large portion of the state's liquid fuel storage and distribution capacity and is located in an area susceptible to liquefaction and earthquake-induced permanent ground deformation during a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake. Initial Seismic Vulnerability Assessments submitted under Oregon's Fuel Tank Seismic Stability program provide valuable facility-specific information, but the assessments vary in subsurface characterization, treatment of fine-grained soils, ground motion selection, and deformation estimation methods. This variability complicates interpretation of regional seismic risk and motivates a consistent corridor-scale analysis.

This thesis develops CPT-informed displacement estimates for representative cross sections …

Influence Of Genetic Relationships On The Spatial Distribution Of Breeding Eastern Wild Turkeys (Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris) In West-Central Louisiana, Rachel D. Price

LSU Master's Theses

Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) have a complex social system influenced by dominance hierarchies and exhibit seasonal variation in gregarious behaviors. Previous work has examined the influence of kin relationships on interactions between same sex conspecifics and flock associations, but information on how genetic relatedness influences interactions between individuals remains lacking. We constructed a dyad-based social network using high-resolution GPS data from 179 female and 68 male wild turkeys in west-central Louisiana during the 28-day period before a females’ 1^st nest initiation to quantify interaction probability based on genetic relatedness and age. Our findings suggest that …

Construction Workers’ Perceptions Of Immersive Virtual Reality Training Effectiveness, Tyiesha "Ty" Gainey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Construction remains one of the most hazardous industries in the United States, while employer-sponsored training opportunities have declined, raising concerns about safety, workforce readiness, and knowledge transfer. Construction leaders need to understand how workers perceive immersive virtual reality (IVR) amid these challenges as an indicator of persistent safety risks, limited workforce preparedness, and ineffective knowledge transfer. The purpose of this single exploratory case study was to examine construction workers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of IVR in transferring knowledge to enhance job performance. Guided by Kirkpatrick’s four-level model of training evaluation, participants’ perceptions of reaction, learning, behavior, and results were examined. …

Examining The Relationship Between Employee Engagement, Career Advancement, And Talent Retention, Nadeen Angella Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining talent continues to be a challenge for organizations and their business leaders. The problem is important to human resource (HR) business leaders because retaining talent helps reduce turnover costs, preserve institutional knowledge, strengthen workforce stability, and enhance organizational success and competitive advantage. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research project, grounded in the social exchange theory, was to examine the relationships between employee engagement, career advancement, and talent retention among employees working for organizations throughout the southeastern United States. The participants were 78 employees in the southeastern United States who met the exclusion criteria and who completed the Utrecht …

Advance Care Planning Education In The Community, Haley R. Monhollon, Margaret E. Kinney

Group: Nebraska Methodist College

Primary care providers are the best individuals to have advance care planning (ACP) conversations with patients due to their familiarity and knowledge of the patient’s health history, but the shortage of these providers and the limited time per visit to educate and help the patient make decisions limits their ability to hold these conversations. Community education sessions have been found to not only increase knowledge but also influence and change behavior. The purpose of this study was to hold community education sessions regarding ACP and advance directives (AD) to increase patient knowledge and increase the number of individuals who plan …

Fall Prevention Education Among Older Adults At Townson Assisted Living Facility (Talf), Yolana Farrell-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Falls in the elderly are a significant cause of injury, disability, and preventable medical expenditure; thus, fall prevention is an issue to assisted living homes like Townson Assisted Living Facility (TALF). The internal incident reports showed that persistent fall incidents were associated with inconsistent knowledge among the staff and unequal observed compliance with fall-prevention guidelines, indicating a practice gap in the systematized education of nurses. Educational interventions are effective in achieving high-quality staff, adherence to protocols, and outcomes concerning falls. Consequently, the current project was conducted to determine whether a specialized falls-prevention education program would enhance the knowledge and competency …

Licensed Social Workers’ Perceived Structural And Systemic Treatment Barriers For Clients With Severe Mental Illness, Myron Curtis White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There was a gap in the existing strategies in social work practice regarding the structural and systemic barriers to health care treatment for clients with serious/severe mental illness (SMI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented that addressing mental health destabilization in the United States is important and requires an understanding of the mental illness to be addressed, including its causal factors, the relationships between the mentally ill and their community/environment, and the methodology for effecting care. This general qualitative study explored what licensed social workers perceived as structural and systemic barriers to health care treatment access for their …

Strategies To Prevent The Development Of Dependence Among Head Start Beneficiaries, Shira Stallworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Head Start programs provide educational, health, nutritional, and family support services to children from low-income families. Despite these benefits, concerns remain regarding factors that may contribute to dependency among some beneficiaries. Understanding these factors is important because public administrators seek to promote family self-sufficiency while ensuring support programs effectively address community needs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of Head Start teachers and an education specialist regarding factors that may contribute to dependency among beneficiaries and to identify strategies that promote family self-sufficiency. The practice-focused research question was: What potential issues may contribute to …

Social Determinants And Policy Implications Of Lived Experiences Of Multidimensional Poverty In Nigeria, Oluwatayo David Aduloju

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poverty disproportionately affects rural populations, women, and children and is shaped by structural inequalities in access to resources and opportunities, reinforcing cycles of disadvantage. Although existing literature provides extensive quantitative evidence on multidimensional poverty, there remains a limited qualitative understanding of how these deprivations are experienced at the household level. This generic qualitative study addressed this gap by examining the lived experiences of heads of households in Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Nigeria, where poverty incidence and intensity are among the highest nationally. Drawing on Sen’s capability theory, Atkinson’s multidimensional poverty framework, and the social determinants of health model, this study …

Prepared Or Not? Perceptions Of Novice Counseling Professionals On Working With Trauma Clients, Christina L. Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of trauma across clinical settings and limited trauma training for clinicians can negatively affect trauma survivors. The impact of novice clinicians’ lack of preparedness and its implications for clients should be important considerations for educators, supervisors, and policymakers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of novice counselors and their preparedness to work with trauma survivors. Grounded in descriptive phenomenology, this study explored participants’ perceived preparedness to work with trauma survivors and the ways these experiences may inform counselor education and supervision. Participants were provisionally licensed counselors within three years of graduating from …

Exploring Lifestyle Transitions And Perceptions Of Weight And Health Among College Students In Huntsville, Texas, Keyonna Nicole Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College students aged 18–25 transitioning to independent living often experience changes in diet, physical activity, stress, and time management that increase health risks. These challenges may be amplified in semi-urban communities by limited access to healthy food, transportation barriers, and scheduling constraints. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how college students in Huntsville, Texas, perceived and interpreted these lifestyle changes and their influence on perceptions of health and weight. Guided by the social ecological model, the study included 12 participants who were 18–25 years old, enrolled in college, living independently in Huntsville, Texas, and able to describe their experiences with lifestyle …

Psychosocial Characteristics Of Self-Identifying Incels, Joleen Koroluck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research examining individuals who self-identify as involuntary celibates (incels) has increased in response to concerns surrounding online grievance communities and violence-related rhetoric. Despite growing scholarship, limited research has examined the psychosocial lived experiences of individuals who identify as incels. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore these experiences and examine factors associated with violent or extremist beliefs within incel-related online communities. Guided by social comparison theory and social identity theory, reflexive thematic analysis was used to examine 90 publicly available forum posts collected from 4Chan, Incel.is, and Looksmaxx. The data were manually coded and analyzed through iterative thematic …

Perceptions Of African American Males Regarding Legal Risks Of Alcohol Misuse, Tylisha Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alcohol misuse among young adults leads to legal, social, and behavioral consequences in the United States. The justice system unequally impacts young African American males. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand perceptions of legal risks of alcohol misuse among African American young adult males who were formerly adjudicated or nonadjudicated. The research question involved African American young adult males and legal risks associated with misuse of alcohol. The differential association theory guided this study in terms of its emphasis on decision-making and learned social behaviors. Data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight …

Auditor Trust In Artificial Intelligence, Michael L. Decker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accounting firms are investing in, and advocating for, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in audit procedures. This dissertation attempts to determine what factors may lead to auditors trusting an AI system. Established models of trust show that traits of the individual user, the system, and the situation all have effects on trust. Prior accounting research also indicates that professional skepticism is an important trait in auditors. This dissertation adds professional skepticism into an established trust model and uses Structural Equation Modeling to investigate auditor trust in audit evidence prepared by an AI system. My results indicate that the most …

Beyond The Application: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study Of Independent Educational Consultants’ Roles, Practices, And College Access Outcomes, Márta Vajda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods study was to understand how Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) define their roles and practices in supporting college-bound high school students, and to examine the extent to which those practices predicted college access outcomes. Using a qualitative-first design (QUAL → quant), Phase 1 consisted of semi-structured interviews with 23 IECs exploring role conceptualization, advising strategies, and college access disparities. Phase 2 involved the development of a survey instrument grounded in qualitative themes and mapped onto the Ecological Model for College Access. In Phase 3, the survey was administered to 181 IECs to examine …

Power, Policy, And The Politics Of Censorship: A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis Of Lgbtq+ Inclusive Book Challenges, Talia M. Zito

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is contextualized in the growing wave of book challenges targeting LGBTQ+ inclusive picture books in public schools, examining how these decisions are shaped by policy, language, and ideology. While national data document the scale of book bans, less is known about how these policies are interpreted and enacted at the local level, where their impact is most directly felt. This research addresses that gap by analyzing how one Florida school district, Escambia County Public Schools, responds to challenges under recent state legislation.

Using Critical Policy Discourse Analysis, this qualitative case study investigates how Florida’s state laws such as …

Exploring The High School Experiences Of Black Males With Their Considerations To Enroll In College, Maria Fernandes

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

This qualitative study applied a phenomenological research approach to explore the high school experiences of black males with their considerations to enroll in college. The research was guided by social network theory as a lens to understand Black males’ considerations to enroll in college upon high school completion. Ten Black male college students participated in semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of the response data revealed two main themes: 1. socially influenced college enrollment considerations and 2. motivation rooted in self-confidence. The findings in this study highlighted the role authentic interpersonal relationships and self-determination play in Black males’ college enrollment considerations. …

Repetition As Ritual Structure: Sound, Movement, And Electrodermal Activity In A Hmong Shaman Ceremony, Maile Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between repetitive sound, physiological arousal, and embodied participation in a Hmong shamanic ritual. Drawing on scholarship about music, trance, absorption, repetition, and Hmong ritual journeying and communication, I consider how sonic layers such as chant, rattle and gong help structure ritual time and sustain the shaman's altered state. The project uses electrodermal activity (EDA) data from wearable sensors, video and audio recordings, and my own event coding of sonic and physical activity during a selected 30-minute section of a recorded Hmong shaman ceremony. By aligning EDA data with a timeline of chanting, rattling, gong playing, …

Dosimetric Impact Of Replacing An Anterior Field With A 3d Conformal Anterior Partial Arc In Thoracic Spine Palliative Radiotherapy, Camri Garretson

Masters Projects

Purpose: Palliative radiotherapy is commonly used for the treatment of thoracic spine metastases; however, conventional beam arrangements can expose nearby organs at risk (OAR), including the heart, to unnecessary radiation dose. This study evaluated whether replacing a static anterior beam with a conformal anterior arc could reduce cardiac dose while maintaining adequate target coverage.

Methods: Fifteen thoracic spine treatment plans were retrospectively replanned using an experimental technique in which the static anterior beam from the original plans was replaced with a 3D anterior conformal arc. All other planning parameters, including beam geometry, wedges, and multi-leaf collimator margins (MLC), were kept …

Risk, Trust, And Medical Decision-Making: Perinatal Care Among Patients And Providers In South Florida, Isabella Viera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how structural inequality shapes the experience of perinatal care among pregnant individuals and healthcare providers in South Florida, with particular attention to how risk is perceived and communicated, how trust between patients and providers is built or eroded, and how medical decision-making unfolds under conditions of structural vulnerability. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2025 and April 2026, supplemented by a quantitative analysis of low-birth-weight rates across all 67 Florida counties, the project analyzes how risk is defined, communicated, and lived across community-based prenatal organizations, online educational platforms, and in-depth provider and patient interviews. The …

Avian Conservation And Translocations In The Mariana Archipelago, John V. Bender

Dissertations

Island birds are among the world’s most imperiled vertebrates, and conservation translocations are increasingly used to combat threats, but their success depends on understanding the mechanics of whether and how to conduct translocations effectively. In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, native forest birds persist across a chain of islands where habitat degradation and loss, invasive species, and extreme weather create persistent conservation challenges. For my dissertation, I investigated how avian conservation programs and translocations can be planned, implemented, and improved under biological, logistical, and social uncertainty. For Chapter 1 I analyzed 15 years of avian translocations across seven …

Maternal Attachment Style As A Moderator Between Maternal Stress And Postpartum Depressive Symptoms, Kristie Lynn Hills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research aimed to discover if maternal attachment style moderates the association between maternal stress and postpartum depressive symptoms for mothers living in the United States. Previous research has indicated a trend of maternal bonding mediating the association between postpartum depression and maternal stress. In this study, attachment theory was utilized as the foundational theory for understanding whether the link between maternal stress and postpartum depressive symptoms vary as a function of maternal attachment style. This quantitative examination was completed using a multiple regression analytic approach. An online questionnaire measured the three study variables. The target population for this study …

Shame, Resilience, And Disclosure Predictors Of Mental Health Seeking In Male Veterans With Ptsd And Military Sexual Trauma, Neftali Melendez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male veterans are often the least likely to report military sexual trauma (MST), increasing the experience of shame, fear, fragility, and mental health disorders. The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship of shame (internal and external), attitudes towards disclosure, and resilience on mental health help-seeking in male veterans who have experienced sexual abuse while in the military. Brown’s theory of shame resilience guided the development of the hypotheses and interpretation of results. Approximately 146 veterans participated in an anonymous online cross-sectional survey using a convenience sampling design and psychometrically validated questionnaires (Mental Help Seeking Attitudes Scale, …

Marketing Strategies To Increase Student Enrollment To Generate Revenue, Jermaine R. Mccain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Declining student enrollment can reduce district revenue and limit a public school’s ability to sustain educational programs, staffing, and overall organizational effectiveness. Public school business leaders who lack effective marketing strategies to increase student enrollment may experience financial instability, limiting their organization’s capacity to maintain long-term operational sustainability. Grounded in consumer choice theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective marketing strategies public school business leaders use to increase student enrollment to generate district revenue. Participants were six public school business leaders in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and …

The Relationship Between Autistic Traits And Depression Among Self-Reporting College-Aged Adults, Tyler Michael Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a prevalent mental health concern among emerging adults, particularly within college populations where academic, social, and developmental stressors are heightened. Autistic traits are increasingly understood as dimensional characteristics that exist across both clinical and non-clinical populations, yet their relationship to depressive symptoms in college-aged adults remains insufficiently understood. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study was to examine the relationship between self-reported autistic traits and depressive symptoms among non-clinical adults aged 18 to 25. The study was grounded in Beck’s cognitive theory of depression and the diathesis–stress model, which posit that cognitive vulnerabilities interact with environmental stressors …

The Association Between Food Insecurity, Housing Insecurity, Self-Care Practice And Depression Among Black Immigrants In The United States, Beatrice Ngozi Mbaocha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence and poor prognosis of depressive symptoms remain significant among adult Black immigrants in the United States. This study examined the complex interplay between food insecurity, housing insecurity, self-care practices, and depression among adult Black immigrants in the United States. Grounded in the socioecological model, this quantitative cross-sectional study analyzed data from N = 469 noninstitutionalized Black immigrant adults (54.2% female, 45.8% male) using the 2023 National Health Interview Survey. Binary logistic regression was employed to assess the probability of depressive symptoms as a function of food insecurity, housing insecurity, and self-care practices, controlling for age, gender, and employment …

Navigating Leadership With A History Of Parental Incarceration: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Nurse Managers’ Professional Relationships And Coaching Receptivity, Demetria Hazlett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse managers play a critical role in healthcare organizations, yet limited research has examined how early-life adversity, such as parental incarceration, influences leadership relationships and development. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study, guided by interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), was to explore how nurse managers’ lived experiences of parental incarceration made sense of their influenced attachment-related relational patterns, professional relationships, and receptivity to leadership coaching. The attachment theory and Karpman’s Drama Triangle grounded this study. The participants comprised eight nurse managers in six states within the United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using the IPA analytic …

Detecting And Correcting Systematic Image Distortion In Digital Atomic-Resolution Images From Crystals: Projected Symmetry Of Graphite Calibration Samples For Scanning Prove Microscopy And Subperiodic Crystals For Aberration-Corrected Transmission Electron Microscopy, Tyler Michael Bortel

Dissertations and Theses

Though it is an impressive technology, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) produces images commonly plagued by small systematic errors, often called "drift". These effects have a variety of causes, most notably nonlinear behavior of piezoelectric actuator tubes responsible for the positioning of the scanning probe or sample. One result of these distortions is a potential incorrect classification of the symmetry groups and projected Laue classes of recorded images from crystals—made possible by using recently developed objective methods. An implementation of a known method for detecting and correcting these errors is presented. This method operates strictly in Fourier space so as to …

Pseudodifferential Absorbing Boundary Conditions For Waves, Lauren Taylor

Mechanical Engineering Theses

Absorbing boundary conditions (ABCs) are required to truncate the computational domain when performing Finite Element Analyses of exterior acoustic problems where physical domain is unbounded. ABC is applied on a fictitious boundary containing the scatterer and ideally allows outgoing waves to leave without non-physical reflections. Preventing artificial reflections is essential to benefit from the accuracy of the numerical method used. Otherwise, ABC acts as a reflective surface, and artificial reflections distort the solution in the entire domain which is not recoverable by any type of refinement. Pseudodifferential ABCs were used to describe the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map which maps known boundary values …