Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Behaviors And Employee Engagement And Turnover Intent, James Bruce Bright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The fast food industry is experiencing issues related to employee engagement and retention. Researchers have shown that managers' transformational leadership behaviors impact employee engagement and turnover intent in various work environments; however, no research to date has evaluated its influence on the fast food industry's hourly-wage, nonmanagement workforce. Building on the theoretical research of Burns and Bass, this study was conducted to examine the relationships among managers' 5 transformational leadership behaviors of idealized influence attributes, idealized influence behavior, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration and employee engagement and turnover intent. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire , the Utrecht Work Engagement …

Evaluation Of The Bedside Swallow Screen, Ruby Ben

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dysphagia is a leading complication of a stroke. A nurse-driven bedside swallow screen can identify dysphagia and decrease the risk for complications such as aspiration pneumonia. At the project site, the use of the bedside swallow screen was at 33%; there was noncompliance with the use of the bedside swallow screen by the emergency department nurses. The purpose of the doctoral project was to increase the use of the bedside swallow screen. Published outcomes, research, and reports generated from archived data were the sources of evidence. The six sigma methodology was used to inform the quality improvement doctoral project. At …

Etiology Of Water Quality Perceptions And Beverage Preferences Of Black Children And Adolescents, Forkpayea K. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the etiology of water quality perceptions and beverage preferences of Black children and adolescents, which addressed a current gap in the literature on this topic. This study was guided by Festinger's social comparison theory, which supports the notion that children and adolescents' perceptions and preferences are influenced by their social network and those with whom they have a close association. In this study, children and adolescents' water quality perceptions were examined as well as the development and factors affecting those perceptions. Whether social factors such as peer or parental influence …

Oral Glucose Insulin Secretion Test For Identifying Patients With Insulin Resistance, David Kershner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Insulin resistance is an increasing public health issue with the current literature, suggesting reduced sensitivity of insulin leads to adult onset diabetes and associated downstream pathologies that reduce life expectancy. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the ability of the Oral Glucose Insulin Secretion Test (OGIST) to identify insulin resistance and examine differences in the insulin sensitivity based on gender, age, and ethnicity. This study was supported by the insulin resistance theory which focuses on the reduced ability of insulin to bind to the cellular insulin receptor, reducing the sensitivity of insulin. The OGIST lab results of …

Relative Effectiveness Of Nutritional And Physical Programs On Young, Rural, Impoverished Students, Dora Ida Justice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past several decades, childhood obesity has continued to rank as an epidemic, particularly in rural, impoverished areas in the United States. Therefore, researchers have affirmed the necessity of exploring solutions to the epidemic, including the need to develop and implement programs that target at-risk behaviors of childhood obesity. In this quantitative, quasi-experimental study, the focus was to determine whether public school-based programs teaching nutrition, physical education, and dietary choices could increase the nutritional knowledge, physical activities, and dietary behaviors of students attending second and third grade in rural, impoverished communities of West Virginia. The theories that served as …

Race, Gender, And Retention In A Diabetes Self-Management Program, Marcia Kaye Bygrave

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes has quickly become an epidemic in the United States and affects all genders and races. Some ethnic groups are at greater risk for being diagnosed and face devastating health consequences due to poor diabetes self-management. Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is considered to be a positive step toward patient self-efficacy and diabetes management. The benefits of diabetes self-management education can only be realized if patients diagnosed with diabetes not only enroll, but complete the program. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the association between race and gender and dropout rates among participants enrolled in a DSME program. …

Teachers' Knowledge, Perceptions, And Practices About Mindset In The Northern Mariana Islands, Bobby Cruz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem studied was the poor academic achievement of middle school students in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Research indicates that a growth mindset positively affects a student's academic achievement and motivation to learn. However, despite the importance of mindset in fostering student success and enhancing learning, mindset remains underexplored in the CNMI. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to fill this gap in knowledge by investigating teachers' knowledge, perceptions, and practices concerning mindset in the CNMI. Three research questions examined teachers' knowledge and perceptions of mindset in the CNMI and how teachers described and …

Health Care Services For Child Survival And Performance-Based Management In Three Kosovo Municipalities, James Mugaju

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the Republic of Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008, new municipal structures were created with the charge of monitoring the delivery of health care services; yet, no mechanism for monitoring performance was ever implemented. With the public value theory as the foundation, the purpose of this multiple case study of 3 Kosovo municipalities was to understand issues surrounding the capacity of local government health department to monitor their performance related to the delivery of services. Relevant data were collected through focus-group discussions with 10 nurses, 9 directors of family medicine centers, and 12 municipal program managers. Purposeful semistructured interviews …

Latent Tuberculosis Infection Treatment Completion And Predictors Of Noncompletion Among Visa Holders In The Rural Setting, Scott Hutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), a product of exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), can lead to tuberculosis (TB) and further cause death if untreated. Fortunately, TB can be prevented with LTBI treatment. Targeting newly arrived visa holders for LTBI screening and treatment is an effective strategy for decreasing future TB burden. However, LTBI treatment completion rates are low, and researches had primarily focused on the nonrural U.S. setting. This study, using a retrospective cohort design under the epidemiological disease triangle framework evaluated (a) the treatment completion rates for 2 cohorts of visa holders (i.e., immigrants, N = 31 and refugees, N …

Factors Impacting The Financial Independence Of Women Who Were Teenage Mothers, Jeanette Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teenage pregnancy in the United States is a national concern because of negative outcomes for teen mothers and their children of teen mothers. There is ample research on the negative outcomes associated with teen pregnancy: however, there is little research on the success of teenage mothers. This transcendental, phenomenological study examined how former teenage mothers overcame challenges of teen pregnancy to become financially independent adults. The research question for this study was: What factors enabled former teen mothers to overcome challenges of teen pregnancy to become financially independent adults? Principles from social learning theory and resilience theory provided the conceptual …

Perceptions Of Chiropractors In Mississippi Regarding Obesity, Phelesia Nakita Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity continues to be a growing problem across the United States. Chiropractors have made claims of providing health promotion services within their treatment protocol; however, there is a lack of empirical research regarding a need for the chiropractic profession to train chiropractors to address Healthy People 2020 public health initiatives. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of Mississippi Delta Region chiropractors regarding their role in obesity management as nonmedical practitioners that implement public health objectives in their practice. The research questions aimed at addressing possible barriers and limitations that influenced chiropractors' perceptions regarding their role …

In Defense Of Penalizing (But Not Punishing) Civil Disobedience, David Lefkowitz

Philosophy Faculty Publications

While many contemporary political philosophers agree that citizens of a legitimate state enjoy a moral right to civil disobedience, they differ over both the grounds of that right and its content. This essay defends the view that the moral right to civil disobedience derives from (or is a facet of) a general right to political participation, and the characterization of that right as precluding the state from punishing, but not from penalizing, those who exercise it. The argument proceeds by way of rebuttals to criticisms of both claims recently advanced by Kimberley Brownlee. While in some cases those criticisms fail …

Assessment Of The Need For Provider Education On Screening For Depression In Patients With Select Dermatologic Problems, Sarah B. Zerhusen

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, skills, and self-efficacy of dermatology providers’ assessment of depression in patients with chronic skin disease to determine the need for continuing education programs.

METHODS: This is a single practice, multi site, quantitative correlational design study to assess provider use, comfort, and proficiency of screening and discussion of depression in patients suffering from plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire dispensed in January of 2018. The sample consisted of 23 dermatology providers in a dermatology practice with clinics in Louisville, Lebanon, …

Impact Of Education On Provider Knowledge And Screening Practices Related To Childhood Obesity, Natalie B. Fulk

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a provider education program on BMI screening practices and provider knowledge related to childhood obesity by implementing an educational intervention to advanced practice providers in a primary care clinic setting.

METHODS: A pretest/posttest design was used to examine changes in provider knowledge about BMI screening practices in children and adolescents, and lifestyle recommendations after a brief educational intervention was provided. A retrospective chart review was used to assess the screening and management practices for an elevated BMI percentile and provider documentation of lifestyle recommendations.

RESULTS: A total of …

An Evaluation Of The Effects Of A Diabetes Self-Management Education Program On The Hba1c In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Katherine Schoo

DNP Projects

Introduction

Diabetes has become an epidemic in the United States. More than 30.3 29 million Americans are living with the disease, while an additional 84.1 million Americans are living with prediabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018). Standards set forth by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) describe comprehensive and individualized self-management education and treatment as part of their guidelines for the management of diabetes (ADA, 2018). The “Active Steps for Diabetes” program is an example of a diabetes self-management education (DSME) program that supports national recommendations made by the ADA.

Methods

This study was a retrospective descriptive pre- …

Using Rapid Cycle Improvement To Improve Weight Management In Family Medicine, Kelly Mccormick

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve rates of nutrition screening and weight management in a Family and Community Medicine Clinic.

METHODS: This study was among several quality improvement projects being conducted at a Family and Community Medicine Clinic aimed at improving patient outcomes and quality measures for reimbursement beginning in 2019. Rapid cycle quality improvement was used to identify problems, implement changes, and evaluate workflow at the clinic in order to improve rates of compliance in BMI screening and documentation of weight management plans. Three PDSA cycles were completed. Activities included observation, staff education, visual …

A Retrospective Comparative Analysis On The Effectiveness Of Pharmacologic Weight Loss, Emily Dunn

DNP Projects

PURPOSE:Obesity costs the U.S. roughly $147 billion in health care spending annually. There has been a call for healthcare providers to initiate all possible weight loss interventions. One treatment strategy not used to its fullest potential is that of prescribing antiobesity medications. The purpose of this project was to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of three common weight loss medications used in the treatment of obesity, including discussion and recommendations.

METHODS: This project was a single-center retrospective study comparing three different groups of patients seen at a rural weight loss clinic. The sample consisted of 84 patients seen between September …

The Effect Of A School-Based Health Center On Access To Care In A Rural Community, Macey Cornwell

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Lack of access to healthcare is a nationwide issue that affects underserved, minority, and rural populations. School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) is one way to help increase access to care for students, staff, and family members.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to provide preliminary data on the impact of a SBHC in a rural Kentucky community on access to care and school attendance.

METHODS: A univariate descriptive analysis was conducted to evaluate the perceived impact of the SBHC on access to care and demographic factors. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, two-sample t-tests, and The Wilcoxon …

Appraisal Of Depression Among Individuals With T2dm Not On Insulin Therapy, Beverly Woods

DNP Projects

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a complicated disease process that affects more than 15 percent of adults in the state of Kentucky, with a national average of 9.4%. Individuals with diabetes are at increased risk for micro and macro neurovascular complications. Depression is a common co-morbidity and potentially affects their ability to manager this complex disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of depression in a group of patients with T2DM, not on insulin therapy. Further, relationships between depression and blood glucose monitoring, Hgb A1c, other co-morbidities, number of medications taken, and demographics …

Tne Effect Of In Our Own Voice On Stigma In Bsn Students, Stephanie Steele

DNP Projects

Stigma regarding mental illness is common throughout the world, and can lead to social isolation, low self-esteem, loss of income and employment, deterioration of life quality, impeded access to medical care, and a shorter lifespan for people diagnosed with a mental illness (Cleary, Deacon, Jackson, Andrew, & Chan, 2012; Corrigan et al., 2013). The purpose of this DNP project was to provide an evidence-based intervention called In Our Own Voice (IOOV) to first semester sophomore nursing students and assess its impact on their perceptions of mental illness stigma. Alterations in stigma were assessed through the Attribution Questionnaire-27 administered to students …

Dyslipidemia Screening In Children Between The Ages Of 9 And 11 Years: An Evidence-Based Approach, Meredith Toms

DNP Projects

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the outcome of healthcare provider education on the incidence of dyslipidemia screening in a pediatric primary care clinic.

METHODS: The design of this study was a descriptive pre and post design to evaluate if dyslipidemia screening rates, knowledge, and self-efficacy of healthcare providers changed following an education series at a general pediatric clinic in Lexington, KY. The rates of dyslipidemia screening were calculated prior to providing provider education as well as afterwards to see whether there was an improvement in screening rates. Provider’s knowledge and confidence before the education series was …

An Examination Of Primary Care Providers’ Assessment And Plan Of Care For Children And Adolescents Who Are Overweight Or Obese, Kevin Pinto

DNP Projects

Background: Childhood and adolescent obesity rates have more than tripled since the 1970s. Currently in the United States, one in five children is obese (6-19 years of age). It is important to identify children and adolescents who are overweight or obese because early intervention may help to reduce the long-term implications of obesity. The purpose of this project was to examine how often pediatric primary care providers diagnosed overweight or obesity and created a plan of care for children 6-17 years of age who were overweight or obese. Facilitators and barriers to diagnosing and creating a plan of care were …

Can Increasing Grass-Fungal Endophyte Symbiotic Diversity Enhance Grassland Ecosystem Functioning?, Mahtaab Bagherzadeh

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is important in maintaining agroecosystem sustainability. Plant-microbe symbioses, such as exists between the grass tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceum) and the asexual fungal endophyte Epichloë coenophiala, can be utilized to enhance agroecosystem functions, such as herbivore resistance. “Novel” E. coenophiala strains that vary in the production of mammal- and insect-toxic compounds have been identified, inserted into tall fescue cultivars, and are planted in pastures globally. Novel fungal endophyte-tall fescue associations may have divergent ecosystem function effects. This study assessed effects of different fescue-endophyte symbiotic combinations on pasture ecosystem function, including aboveground …

Engineering Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles To Be Used As Nanofertilizers, Zeinah Elhaj Baddar

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Zinc deficient soils, or soils with low Zn bioavailability, are widespread, which exacerbates Zn deficiency in human as crops grown on these soils have low Zn content. Often crop yields are also compromised. Fertilizers based on soluble Zn salts often have limited efficacy in such soils. In this research, we evaluate the performance of polymer coated and bare ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) in an attempt to overcome limitations of soluble Zn salts in alkaline soils. We first synthesized 20-30 nm bare ZnO NPs with different surface chemistries to impart colloidal stability to the particles. Bare ZnO were treated in phosphate solution …

Creating A More Permissive Patentability Standard Under Language From The Tpp, Ryan Thorne

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Association Of Speech Pathology Or Occupational Therapy Utilization In Nicu Babies Who Have Feeding Disorders At Birth: Do They Have Lower 12-Month Hospitalizations For Failure To Thrive?, Megan L. Richmond

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Empirical investigation is needed to better understand how utilization of speech pathology (SLP) and occupational therapy (OT) services are associated with subsequent health outcomes in preterm infants with feeding disorders. Method: Using logistic regression, we conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of preterm babies with feeding disorders who received SLP or OT using 2013-2015 Medicaid administrative data provided via Truven MarketScan database. Covariates included gender, race, birthweight, and length of stay. Outcome variables were any hospitalization for failure to thrive (FTT) claims six to eighteen months after discharge from the NICU. Results: Retrospective cohort analysis of 6,190 premature babies were …

Field-Based Scoring Of Soybean Iron Deficiency Chlorosis Using Rgb Imaging And Statistical Learning, Geng Bai, Shawn Jenkins, Wenan Yuan, George L. Graef, Yufeng Ge

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is an abiotic stress in soybean that can cause significant biomass and yield reduction. IDC is characterized by stunted growth and yellowing and interveinal chlorosis of early trifoliate leaves. Scoring IDC severity in the field is conventionally done by visual assessment. The goal of this study was to investigate the usefulness of Red Green Blue (RGB) images of soybean plots captured under the field condition for IDC scoring. A total of 64 soybean lines with four replicates were planted in 6 fields over 2 years. Visual scoring (referred to as Field Score, or FS) was conducted …

การพัฒนาอุปกรณ์วิเคราะห์ฐานกระดาษสำหรับหาปริมาณสารเพรดนิโซโลนและเดกซาเมทาโซนที่ปลอมปนในผลิตภัณฑ์สมุนไพรด้วยวิธีเคมีไฟฟ้า, วิศรุต พริ้มพราย

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การปลอมปนของสารสเตียรอยด์ชนิดเดกซาเมทาโซนและเพรดนิโซโลนในผลิตภัณฑ์สมุนไพรเป็นปัญหาสำคัญที่ก่อผลเสียร้ายแรงต่อสุขภาพของผู้ใช้ ในหลาย ๆ ประเทศทั่วโลก โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งในประเทศกำลังพัฒนา งานวิจัยนี้ ประสบความสำเร็จในการพัฒนาอุปกรณ์สำหรับแยกและตรวจวัดปริมาณการปลอมปนของสารสเตียรอยด์ดังกล่าว โดยใช้อุปกรณ์ตรวจวิเคราะห์ฐานกระดาษและใช้หลักการทางเคมีไฟฟ้า (electrochemical paper-based analytical device หรือ ePAD) ซึ่งประกอบด้วยกระดาษ Whatman SG81 ตลับพลาสติกจากการพิมพ์สามมิติ และขั้วไฟฟ้าชนิด screen printed electrode โดยกระดาษ Whatman SG81 ใช้สำหรับแยกสารสเตียรอยด์ชนิดเดกซาเมทาโซนและเพรดนิโซโลน โดยใช้วัฏภาคเคลื่อนที่เป็นสารละลาย 60% ethyl acetate ใน cyclohexane ซึ่งผลการศึกษาพบว่าสามารถแยกสารสเตียรอยด์ดังกล่าวออกจากสิ่งเจือปนต่าง ๆ ได้ภายใน 7 นาที สารสเตียรอยด์ที่แยกออกจากกันบนกระดาษ นำมาวัดปริมาณด้วยเทคนิคเคมีไฟฟ้าชนิด differential pulse voltammetry โดยใช้ตลับพลาสติกจากการพิมพ์สามมิติที่ถูกออกแบบทำให้สารละลายอิเล็กโทรไลต์ถูกขังอยู่บนกระดาษ ทำให้สามารถตรวจวัดสัญญาณทางเคมีไฟฟ้าได้คงที่ ซึ่งอุปกรณ์ที่พัฒนาขึ้นสามารถตรวจวัดปริมาณปลอมปนของสารสเตียรอยด์ทั้งชนิดเดกซาเมทาโซนและ เพรดนิโซโลนได้ในช่วงความเข้มข้นระหว่าง 10 ถึง 500 µg/mL โดยมีค่าสัมประสิทธิ์สหสัมพันธ์เท่ากับ 0.988 และ 0.994 ตามลำดับ มีขีดจำกัดในการตรวจวิเคราะห์เชิงคุณภาพเท่ากับ 3.59 µg/mL และ 6.00 µg/mL ตามลำดับ และขีดจำกัดในการตรวจวิเคราะห์เชิงปริมาณมีค่าเท่ากับ 11.98 µg/mL และ 20.02 µg/mL ตามลำดับ การตรวจวัดปริมาณปลอมปนของสารสเตียรอยด์ทั้งสองชนิดในสิ่งตัวอย่างผลิตภัณฑ์สมุนไพรจริงด้วยวิธีที่พัฒนาขึ้นมีค่าสอดคล้องกับผลที่ตรวจด้วยวิธี HPLC และเป็นวิธีที่ใช้งานง่าย มีต้นทุนต่ำ รวดเร็ว และมีศักยภาพนำไปใช้ตรวจหาสิ่งตัวอย่างผลิตภัณฑ์สมุนไพรที่สงสัยว่ามีการปลอมปนของสารสเตียรอยด์ ในระดับภาคสนาม

Gene Expression And Lipid Accumulation In Green Microalga Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii (137c) Under Salt Stress Condition, Thanapa Atikij

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Biodiesel is an important alternative energy that can reduce CO2 emission, the main cause of Global warming. Algal biomass has been considered to be the third generation biofuels. One of the important strategies that enhance lipid accumulation; precursor of biodiesel production, is stress cultivation. High salt concentration is one of a potential approach to enhance lipid accumulation in microalgae. Here, we investigated the impacts of salt on lipid accumulation in green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (137c). The results revealed that higher concentrations of NaCl, KCl, and LiCl led to increasing of saturated fatty acid contents for 1.8, 1.2, and 1.1 folds …

Development Of In Situ Gel Containing Asiaticoside-Cyclodextrin Complex For Periodontal Tissue Regeneration, Hay Man Saung Hnin Soe

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Asiaticoside (AS) is active herbal compound isolated from Centella asiatica. It has the potential benefit in promoting type I collagen (COL I) synthesis and osteogenic differentiation in human periodontal ligament cells. However, it has low aqueous solubility which may hamper the bioavailability. Thus, the main objective of this study was to develop the thermoresponsive in situ gels containing AS by using cyclodextrin (CD). To determine the solubility enhancement of AS, phase-solubility profiles were investigated and revealed that CDs enhanced the aqueous solubility of AS. Hydroxypropyl-beta-CD (HPβCD) and sulfobutyl-ether-beta-CD (SBEβCD) were selected due to highly solubilization enhancement of AS. The mucoadhesive …