Digital Commons Network^™

Mhealth Resources For Asthma And Pregnancy Care: Methodological Issues And Social Media Recruitment. A Discussion Paper, Graham R. Williamson, Anita O'Connor, Chervonne Chamberlain, David Halpin

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing The Implementation Of Advanced Midwife Practitioners In Healthcare Settings: A Qualitative Study, R Goemaes, J Shawe, D Beeckman, E Decoene, S Verhaeghe, Hecke A Van

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Britishers In Two Worlds: Maltese Immigrants In Detroit And Toronto, 1919-1960, Marc Anthony Sanko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation looks at the immigration of Maltese laborers and their families to North America, chiefly Detroit and Toronto, between 1919 and 1960. While the Maltese migration followed similar patterns to other Southern European Catholic or skilled laborers in general, it is different in both their timing and colonial association. Most migrants came to North America in the late 19th and early 20th century, but the Maltese migration occurs largely after World War I and extends through the 1960s---the exact time frame of immigration restrictions imposed by both the governments of the United States and Canada. How the Maltese immigrants …

Best Practices For Sepsis Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Kevin Mark Smith Jr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sepsis is a complication caused by the overwhelming and life-threatening response of the body to an infection. Sepsis can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals. Mortality from sepsis increases 8% for every hour that treatment is delayed. Each year, 258,000 people die from sepsis in the U.S. As many as 80% of sepsis deaths could be prevented with rapid diagnosis and treatment (Sepsis Alliance, 2016). This project seeks to improve the ability of the transfer unit to screen patients, improve early …

Instrumentation And Inertial Navigation Systems Design For Tensegrity Robot Implementations, Scott Edward Harper

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

One of the major challenges faced when developing missions for the exploration of planetary bodies is the risk these terrains pose on the science platform when using a traditional lander or wheeled rover. One means of developing platforms to traverse these harsh terrains is to utilize mobility systems comprised of tensegrity structures. These structures have the capacity to distribute loads across a network of axially loaded members such that they can be constructed in a very lightweight manner and morph their geometries when required. In literature, there has been significant progress in simulated environments to utilize tensegrity structures as mobility …

Laser And 3-Dimensional Printers: Characterizing Emissions And Occupational Exposures, Alyson R. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Toxicology and epidemiology studies have observed an association between ultrafine particles (UFPs) and respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health effects. While there is a paucity of data in the literature on the potential toxicity and health effects from indoor UFP exposure, more exposure assessment studies and research evaluating the efficacy of controls is merited. An increased demand for efficiency, productivity, and manufacturing has led to conception of laser and 3- dimmensional (3-D) printers in various indoor workplaces. The indoor environment is one of the most important determinants of personal exposure. Introducing laser and 3-D printers to indoor workplaces, introduces a …

Chitosan Biopolymer Promotes Yield And Stimulates Accumulation Of Antioxidants In Strawberry Fruit, Mosaddiqur Rahman, Julakha Akter Mukta, Abdullah As Sabir, Dipali Rani Gupta, Mohammed Mohi-Ud-Din, Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Md. Giashuddin Miah, Mahfuzur Rahman, Md Tofazzal Islam

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Strawberry is a well-known source of natural antioxidants with excellent free radical scavenging capacity. This study determined the effects of chitosan application in field condition on plant growth, fruit yield and antioxidant activities in strawberry fruit. Foliar applications of chitosan on strawberry significantly increased plant growth and fruit yield (up to 42% higher) compared to untreated control. Increased fruit yield was attributed to higher plant growth, individual fruit weight and total fruit weight/plant due to the chitosan application. Surprisingly, the fruit from plants sprayed with chitosan also had significantly higher contents (up to 2.6-fold) of carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids and phenolics …

Tennessee Farm Bureau News - January 2018, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Tennessee Farm Bureau News

No abstract provided.

Online Communication Settings And The Qualitative Research Process: Acclimating Students And Novice Researchers, Katherine Gregory

Publications and Research

In the last 20 years, qualitative research scholars have begun to interrogate methodological and analytic issues concerning online research settings as both data sources and instruments for digital methods. This article examines the adaptation of parts of a qualitative research curriculum for understanding online communication settings. I propose methodological best practices for researchers and educators that I developed while teaching research methods to undergraduate and graduate students across disciplinary departments and discuss obstacles faced during my own research while gathering data from online sources. This article confronts issues concerning the disembodied aspects of applying what in practice should be rooted …

Islamic Shari'a Law, History And Modernity: Some Reflections, Suleiman A. Mourad

Religion: Faculty Publications

In the last two centuries, Muslim modernists have introduced major legal reforms that led to the restriction of the range and scope of Islamic Shari’a Law and the overhaul of legal thought and practice in the Muslim World. Nevertheless, every time a new legal reform is proposed, it is met with outcries from Islamists who label it un-Islamic and blasphemy against God. This paper examines some major premodern scholars of Islamic jurisprudence whose thought and practice about Shari’a Law featured tremendous flexibility in the way they understood their role as legislators and accepted a diversity of rules. The paper shows …

Benchmarking Treatment Response In Tourette’S Disorder: A Psychometric Evaluation And Signal Detection Analysis Of The Parent Tic Questionnaire, Madeline M. Rasch, Douglas W. Woods, Matthew W. Specht, John T. Walkup, Lawrence Scahill, Sabine Wilhelm, Alan L. Peterson, John Piacentini

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This study assessed the psychometric properties of a parent-reported tic severity measure, the Parent Tic Questionnaire (PTQ), and used the scale to establish guidelines for delineating clinically significant tic treatment response. Participants were 126 children ages 9 to 17 who participated in a randomized controlled trial of Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). Tic severity was assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Hopkins Motor/Vocal Tic Scale (HMVTS) and PTQ; positive treatment response was defined by a score of 1 (very much improved) or 2 (much improved) on the Clinical Global Impressions – Improvement …

A Multicenter Examination And Strategic Revisions Of The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale, Joseph F. Mcguire, John Piacentini, Eric A. Storch, Tanya K. Murphy, Emily J. Ricketts, Douglas W. Woods, John T. Walkup, Alan L. Peterson, Sabine Wilhelm, Adam B. Lewin, James T. Mccracken, James F. Leckman, Lawrence Scahill

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective To examine the internal consistency and distribution of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) scores to inform modification of the measure.

Methods This cross-sectional study included 617 participants with a tic disorder (516 children and 101 adults), who completed an age-appropriate diagnostic interview and the YGTSS to evaluate tic symptom severity. The distributions of scores on YGTSS dimensions were evaluated for normality and skewness. For dimensions that were skewed across motor and phonic tics, a modified Delphi consensus process was used to revise selected anchor points.

Results Children and adults had similar clinical characteristics, including tic symptom severity. …

Stress And Quality Of Life Among Parents Of Children With Congenital Heart Disease Referred For Psychological Services, Astrida S. Kaugars, Clarissa Shields, Cheryl Brosig

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The study examined parent stress and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among families of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) referred for psychological services.

Methods

Parents of 54 children (85% boys) aged 3 to 13 (M_age = 7.48, SD = 2.38) completed measures to assess parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index – Short Form; Pediatric Inventory for Parents) and the PedsQL Family Impact Module. Medical information was retrieved from medical record review.

Results

Half of parents of children with single ventricle anatomy had clinically significant levels of parenting stress. Parents of children with single ventricle anatomy reported more …

Memory And Executive Functions In Alexithymia, Nicolas Vermeulen, Irena Domachowska, Kristy A. Nielson

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Intersectionality Research Within Latinx Mental Health: Conceptual And Methodological Considerations, Lucas Torres, Felicia Mata-Greve, Claire Maria Bird, Erick Herrera Hernandez

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Intersectionality considers the meaning and consequences associated with multiple identities along interlocking systems of disadvantage and inequality (Cole, 2009; Crenshaw, 1991). In recent years, there has been increasing attention on examining the mental health outcomes associated with membership in multiple marginalized groups. Unfortunately, intersectionality research examining the unique experiences of Latinx groups remains scarce. The current article reviews theoretical and methodological considerations regarding intersectionality research within Latinx mental health. From a theoretical perspective, intersectionality brings a series of questions regarding the epistemological approaches to studying psychological phenomena. This, in turn, influ- ences the methodological strategies used to examine these processes. …

Selection And Implementation Of Skill Acquisition Programs By Special Education Teachers And Staff For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tiffany Kodak, Tom Cariveau, Brittany A. Leblanc

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The present investigation examined special education teachers’ selection and use of teaching strategies for receptive identification training with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their classrooms. Teachers first responded to a survey in which they provided examples of receptive identification tasks taught in their classrooms, rated the efficacy of teaching strategies, described how they determined whether skills were mastered, listed any assessments they conducted to identify relevant prerequisite skills prior to receptive identification training, described how they selected teaching strategies for use in their classrooms, and listed their years of experience as a teacher and working with children with …

Therapist Self-Disclosure And Immediacy: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis, Clara E. Hill, Sarah Knox, Kristen Pinto-Coelho

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

We review definitions and provide case examples of therapist self-disclosure (TSD) and immediacy (Im). We then present a qualitative meta-analysis of 21 studies that examined the subsequent process following TSD and Im in psychotherapy (excluding analogue and correlational studies). Across the 21 studies, the most frequent subsequent processes were enhanced therapy relationship, improved client mental health functioning, gains in insight, and overall helpfulness, suggesting that most often TSD and Im were followed by positive and beneficial therapeutic processes. In additional analyses, TSD was associated more often with improved mental health functioning, overall helpfulness, and enhanced therapy relationships, whereas Im was …

Book Review Of The Basics Of Item Response Theory Using R, Brooke E. Magnus

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

This article reviews the book The Basics of Item Response Theory Using R by Baker and Kim (2017). It describes the structure and goals of the book, provides an overview of each chapter, and concludes with general comments. Both strengths and limitations of the book are discussed.

Who Believes In A Male God? Ideological Beliefs And Gendered Conceptualizations Of God, Simon Howard, Debra L. Oswald, Mackenzie S. Kirkman

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Recent studies have explored whether certain conceptualizations of God are associated with various attitudes and beliefs. In the current study, we examined the relationship between gendered God concepts and the belief that God is involved in one’s life and religious-related rigid ideologies (i.e., religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism [RWA]). Across two studies, one conducted with religious students at a Jesuit university and the other with a national sample, we found that individuals who believed God to be male were more likely to believe that God had more control and involvement in their life, had higher levels of religious fundamentalism and …

Pain Management, Gender, And Quality Of Life In Cancer Patients, John Robert Buhmeyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The type of cancer pain management used may have an effect on the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients. Researchers have determined that cancer patients are inadequately treated for pain and pain management is an essential determinant of patient survivability and QOL. Numerous clinical studies have been accomplished concerning opioid administration and noncancer and cancer pain management exist. Previous studies have examined the relationship between cannabinoid products, noncancer pain, cancer pain, and related QOL for patients but have not focused on the QOL of cancer patients while also moderating for gender. These relationships were investigated using the health belief …

The Correlation Between Job Satisfaction And Turnover Intention In Small Business, Jane Ann Reukauf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover has been responsible for the failure of many small businesses in the United States. Business leaders do not always understand the reasons employees choose to leave an organization. This correlational study, grounded in Herzberg's 2-factor theory, examined the relationship between intrinsic employee job satisfaction, extrinsic employee job satisfaction, and employee turnover intention among employees in small businesses. Participants included 129 employees of a small business in Western New York. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and Turnover Intention Survey were used to collect the data. The multiple regression analysis significantly predicted extrinsic employee turnover intentions, F(3, 103) = 25.687, p …

Sustaining Peace In Sierra Leone Through Collaboration Of The Dominant Ethnic Groups, Osman Kabba

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is convincing evidence in the literature that the civil war fought in Sierra Leone beginning in 1991 was the result of social and political grievances between the 3 dominant ethnic groups, Krio, Mende, and Temne. Hitherto, there were no studies which explored their collaboration on postconflict sustainable peacebuilding efforts. By closely examining the political behaviors of these groups, this qualitative expert study was designed to create understanding of how collaboration between them supported postconflict sustainable peace-building efforts. Data consisted of observational notes and semistructured interviews of 21 Sierra Leonean experts living in the United States. Data were analyzed using …

Language Of Instruction And Puerto Rican First Graders' Ethnic Categorizations, Margarita Marichal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The use of subtractive bilingual models in Puerto Rico may influence children's construction of social categorizations. There is a gap in the literature related to linguistics, ethnicity, and systems of education and acculturation of a majority group. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the influence of the language of instruction and teachers' communicative practices in private and public schools on first graders' ethnic identity construction in the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The conceptual framework of the study was based on Markus's unified theory of race and ethnicity, Berry's bidimensional model of acculturation, Tajfel and …

Community Public-Private Partnership Leadership Synergy In Tanzania, Hawa Yatera Mshana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the public-private partnership (PPP) concept in health and social health has been politically accepted as the best pathway to improving health outcomes in many developing nations, implementation lacks leadership synergy. Lack of awareness and engagement of community leaders about PPP interventions and their benefits affect accountability and ownership of health and social care interventions. The purpose of this study was to better understand factors that could promote partnership leadership synergy to enhance ownership and accountability for community health and social welfare initiatives in Tanzania. A qualitative empirical case study design was used; diffusion of innovation and the public-private integrated …

Adherence To Antiretroviral Medicines Among Adolescents And Young Adults In Benue State, Nigeria, Amom Tor-Anyiin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adherence to ARV medicines is essential to halt HIV progression, increase CD4 counts, decrease virologic impact, and improve quality of life for the infected people. However, sustaining good adherence among adolescents and young adults (AYA) has been a challenge caused by various problems such as distance to clinic, improved CD4 count which lead to complacency in adherence, and the nature of the environment. This was a quantitative, retrospective, correlational, cross-sectional study anchored by the transtheoretical model, which was used to understand how adherence rate among the study population was impacted by the predictive factors. Secondary data was collected from patient's …

The Impact Of Parental Education Level, Wealth Status, And Location On Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence In Northwestern Liberia, Sando Adetunji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Health Sciences

This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by

Sando Adetunji

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,

and that any and all revisions required by

the review committee have been made.

Review Committee

Dr. Chinaro Kennedy, Committee Chairperson, Public Health Faculty

Dr. Adebowale Awosika-Olumo, Committee Member, Public Health Faculty

Dr. James Rohrer, University Reviewer, Public Health Faculty

Chief Academic Officer

Eric Riedel, Ph.D.

Walden University

2018

Female genital mutilation has been a public health issue in many countries. As a result, researchers across the globe have conducted numerous studies …

Vote-Selling: Infrastructure And Public Services, Nat Adojutelegan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vote-selling in Nigeria pervades and permeates the electoral space, where it has become the primary instrument of electoral fraud. Previous research has indicated a strong correlation between vote-buying and underinvestment and poor delivery of public services. There remains, however, a significant gap in the current literature regarding the nature of the relationship between vote-selling and the delivery of public services. The purpose of this study was to uncover voters' behaviors by investigating their common and lived experiences with respect to the provision of infrastructure, delivery of public services, and voting during elections. Using Bandura's theory of reciprocal determinism, the research …

Information Technology Infrastructure: Global Economy And National Development In Haiti, Reynolds Alcena

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Political and environmental chaos recently experienced in Haiti has damaged the economic sector and telecommunication infrastructure. Developmental data from Haiti show 3 major trends: inadequate social and economic development, insufficient benefits from the global economy, and poorly planned information technology infrastructure (ITI). The specific problem addressed in this study is a knowledge gap in the views of stakeholders within Haiti's national culture on how the country's ITI can be developed to better engage Haiti in 21st century global and digital economy. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the views of 48 expert participants regarding ITI development …

Knowledge, Beliefs, And Perceptions About Tuberculosis Among Haitian Immigrants And Haitian Americans Living In Miami-Dade County, Florida, Leslie Barbour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tuberculosis (TB) kills 1.7 million people each year, and 1/3rd of the world's population is estimated to have latent TB. It was once the deadliest disease in the United States but is now relatively rare and, if treated properly, it is curable. Migrants from TB-endemic countries, such as Haiti, are one source of TB transmission to the US, and the prevalence of TB remains high and is increasing in Little Haiti, Florida. Data on the knowledge and perceptions of Haitian immigrants and Haitian Americans about TB is inadequate. The purpose of this qualitative research was to study the TB-related knowledge, …

Finding God At Work In Our Family Roots, Keith Clouten

Faculty Publications

Follows the story of the Clouten family beginning in 1790 in England, then to Australia, then to Canada, and back to Australia.