Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Community Knowledge And Perceptions Of Flooding And Sea-Level Rise In King Salmon, California, Kristina Kunkel

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The coastal community of King Salmon, California could be at the highest risk of relative sea-level rise on the entire U.S. West Coast. In 2019, the community already experiences severe flooding at least annually and may be regularly inundated as early as 2050. Until this study, there had been no documented effort to reach out to the community to show them future sea-level rise projections, understand the context of life in King Salmon, and listen to their reactions and perceptions. This research utilized a mixed methods grounded theory approach integrating semi-structured interviews with King Salmon stakeholders, qualitative data analysis, public …

(In)Difference To Survivors: The Anti-Violence Comics Project, Henry Solares

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Sexualized violence prevention at the university level can sometimes leave out the perspectives and needs of marginalized groups. Ethics should always serve to temper any endeavors to work with marginalized groups. Any endeavor into the field requires methods and frameworks that serve not only the needs of the researcher but also the knowledge builders involved. Postmodern ethnography articulates a need for contesting a positivist understanding of knowledge through use of alternative methods like novelized fiction, autobiography, documentary, and visual art. In conjunction, intersectional theory forces us to consider our place as researchers and the larger power dynamics within our culture. …

Perception Of Nursing Education In Nepal: Meeting The Needs Of Nursing As Profession In A Global Health Care Community, Pamela Bellah

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The goal of this study was to examine 1) the overall perception of the nursing education system in Nepal, 2) identify opinions that examine the degree to which nursing education in Nepal meets the needs of nursing as a profession, and 3) identify opinions that examine if the standards of the nursing education in Nepal meet international standards. The broader goal was to develop and provide a body of information that governmental agencies and administrators could utilize to strategically plan for the future of nursing education in Nepal.

The purpose of this mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) study is to …

Home & Heart Rescue: An Animal Shelter Designed For Animal-Assisted Therapy, Jordan Best

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Millions of companion animals are placed in shelters annually, while a greater number of people struggle with some sort of disability. Designing an animal shelter that caters to these disabilities will allow those to be more comfortable in their environment. This creates an opportunity to foster stronger bonds with animals, increasing adoption rates.

The Wrist Brace Project, Nathan Nicholas

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper outlines the engineering design process of creating a specialized wrist brace for a local child. This project was completed by a team of senior Biomedical Engineering students.

Volunteer Tool Kit, Lydia Brooks

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Williams Syndrome Association is a nonprofit organization that helps raise funds and awareness about Williams syndrome. Williams syndrome is a disorder that is not very well known and has a lot of unique challenges associated with it. Individuals with Williams syndrome have serious health concerns and tend to be extremely friendly, outgoing, and empathetic. The Williams Syndrome Association is dedicated to raising funds to aid research, creating awareness for the disorder, and providing support to families that are affected by the disorder. The association recruits volunteers to put on an annual Walk for Williams Syndrome in their area. These …

Plant Hormone Signaling Lab Module, Olivia Snyder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Course material for universities constantly needs updating and refinement. One area that required new material at The University of Akron was the Principles of Biology II course, specifically in the laboratory section. A new laboratory module was created and centered around hormone signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. Brassinosteroid mutants were used to show students the event hormones had on plants. Students were to test root lengths by completing growth plate analysis.

Charles Horton Cooley And The Social Gospel Influence, Taylor Emerson Styes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Charles Horton Cooley was one of the fundamental American intellectuals of the early twentieth century, primarily due to his social theories that involved the connection between individuals and society. This thesis demonstrates this connection with the influence of the Social Gospel movement as a basis for Cooley’s evolving social organization theories that remained important for the next generation of sociologists. The last stage of this thesis examines the transition away from the Social Gospel influence through Cooley’s organic social process, while Cooley retained parallels with the Social Gospel.

#Blacklivesmatter: How A Hashtag Maintains A Movement: A Content Analysis Of The Black Lives Matter Hashtag On Twitter, Ashleigh Grimes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

American society is consumed by social media; thus, digital activism is becoming a prevalent way of advocating for and establishing social progress. The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency of engagement with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter by Twitter users. The data collection consisted of tweets shared between the time frame of July 17, 2014, to August 17, 2014. The methodology used was content analysis, which included the examination of the volume of Twitter tweets collected from this time frame. This research adds to the impending design of a social movement structure that includes online social movements. The present …

Exploring The Relationship Between Fraternal Organizations And The University Of Michigan: An Organizational Analysis, Devin Berghorst

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fraternal organizations and the University of Michigan and the implications for student affairs. This study was conducted by analyzing three distinct eras (two eras of politicization and one era of quiescence). Each era featured conflict between fraternal organizations and institutional actors (faculty, staff), and was analyzed to determine what, if any, implications there were for student affairs at the University of Michigan. The conceptual framework applied concepts from areas pertaining to conflict and organizational theory. Additionally, these concepts were informed by research about political organizations. The research method used …

“It’S Like A Big Freaking Fake Circus”: An Exploration Of Intersectionality And Women’S Experiences In Higher Education Fundraising, Daniel Mathis Spadafore

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Women in higher education fundraising navigate the broad forces of sexism and racism in society and their profession, a profession in which they are being paid less than their male counterparts and are under-represented in leadership roles, despite being the majority of fundraising professionals. This study provided a platform for women in higher education fundraising to tell their stories and to explain, in their own words, how they navigated a traditionally White patriarchal system of philanthropy, interacted with fundraising prospects and donors, and experienced the fundraising profession. The research questions included:

• What do women say are their lived experiences …

Concussion's Impact On Learning: The Need For Return-To-Learn Protocols For Hospital And School Collaboration, Anne E. Crylen

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Over half million children with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) pass through United States emergency departments each year. While there is Return-to-Play legislation in all 50 states, in response to sports-related concussion, there are very few Return-to-Learn protocols in place in the nation’s public schools. Concussion is a mild form of TBI; the vast spectrum of TBI makes it a complex disability, which may involve intensive physical rehabilitation and cognitive therapy. The primary purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the collaboration between educational and medical providers at one high school in Michigan to illuminate the process of school …

Effect Of Emotional Intelligence, Collaboration Technology, Team Climate, And Intrinsic Motivation On Virtual Team Effectiveness: A Study Of Team Member Perceptions, Brandy Lynn Kramer

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The pervasiveness of technology has caused a paradigm shift from collocated teams working in the office 9–5 to virtual teams working anywhere, anytime. As such, there is a growing body of literature related to virtual teams; however, there is limited research specific to the relationship between virtual team effectiveness and emotional intelligence, collaboration technology, team climate, and intrinsic motivation. This study used a descriptive, correlational research design. The sample consisted of 119 virtual team members from information technology consulting organizations. The data were collected using a survey instrument containing demographic questions followed by five intact scales with proven reliability and …

Sustainable Akron: Akron's Zero Carbon, Zero Waste, 100% Renewable Energy Future, Nicholas Cacioppo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report attempts to show that it is not just possible for the City of Akron to transition to a more sustainable city, but that it may be socially and economically beneficial for the city to do so. This report builds on Greenprint for Akron, the City of Akron’s Climate Action Plan, and serves to complement city development plans as well as guide the adoption of future climate related policies. This report provides a limited but updated climate and sustainability assessment of the City of Akron and employs a framework of three fundamental aspects of a sustainable and resilient city: …

Climate Change As A Hazard In Emergency Management, Christen Swayer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will provide a basic overview of hazards, a scientific overview of climate change, examine evidence used to document climate change, investigate how the public and private sectors are impacted by climate change, and determine if states are preparing for this hazard. Sources such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service (NWS), and Climate Impact Lab will be consulted to determine if it would be beneficial to implement changes to prepare for the worsening effects of climate change. The methodology for this project will include quantitative climate data for temperature extremes and trends, hurricanes, …

Safety In Children With Medical Complexity: Our Canaries In The Coal Mine?, Christine A. Schindler, Elisabeth S. Pordes, Steven D. Finkenbinder, K. Jane Lee

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose of review

The goal of this paper is to describe the complicated and diverse safety risks facing children with medical complexity.

Recent findings

Children with medical complexity have an increased risk of experiencing adverse health outcomes related to multiple comorbidities, the complicated nature of their care, and frequent interactions with the health care system. The safety risks experienced by children with medical complexity are in large part due to the complex nature of their care rather than the specific risks posed by the complicated nature of their illnesses.

Summary

The complicated nature of care for children with medical complexity …

Predeath Grief, Resourcefulness, And Perceived Stress Among Caregivers Of Partners With Young-Onset Dementia, Karie Ruekert Kobiske, Abir K. Bekhet, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Marilyn Frenn

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

More than 200,000 Americans are currently diagnosed with young-onset dementia (YOD). YOD is dementia diagnosed prior to the age of 65. Most persons of YOD are cared for by their partners. Using the theoretical framework of Resilience Theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined the moderating effects of personal and social resourcefulness on the relationship between predeath grief and perceived stress among 104 YOD caregiving partners (life partners/spouses) using an online survey platform. Results indicated a large positive correlation between predeath grief and caregiver perceived stress (r = .65; p < .001). Together predeath grief, personal resourcefulness and social resourcefulness explained 51.5% of the variance in perceived stress. Personal resourcefulness did not moderate the relationship. Social resourcefulness did positively moderate this relationship between predeath grief and perceived stress. These findings allow for a better understanding of the caregiving experience for a partner with YOD and creates opportunities for future research studies.

Health Policy Engagement Among Graduate Nursing Students In The United States, Pamela B. De Cordova, Mary Beth Wilson Steck, Amber Vermeesch, Natacha Pierre, Audra Rankin, Jennifer M. Ohlendorf, Sherry Lawrence, Anne Derouin

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Aim

The aim was to understand how health policy education is currently being delivered in the United States’ graduate nursing programs.

Methods

This exploratory cross‐sectional design used an anonymous online survey to target graduate nursing students attending American Association of College of Nursing (AACN) member institutions.

Results

Over 75% of the sample (n = 140) reported taking a dedicated health policy course and 71.5% ( n = 131) of the sample responded that a health policy course was required and an equal distribution among master’s and doctoral students. There was no significant difference between type of graduate degree sought …

Effects Of Positive Thinking On Dementia Caregivers’ Burden And Care-Recipients’ Behavioral Problems, Abir K. Bekhet, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Most dementia care is provided at home by family members. This caregiving places an additional burden on the family members, which can negatively impact their physical and psychological well-being. The caregivers’ burden can also contribute to behavioral problems in the care-recipients. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating/moderating effects of positive thinking (PT) on the relationship between caregivers’ burden (embarrassment/anger, patient’s dependency, and self-criticism) and their care-recipients’ behavioral problems (memory, depression, and disruption) in a sample of 100 dementia caregivers. Results indicated that caregivers’ embarrassment, self-criticism, and perception of patient dependency predicts depression in care-recipients, and these …

[Introduction To] Chinese Revolutionary Cinema: Propaganda, Aesthetics And Internationalism 1949-1966, Volume 48, Jessica Ka Yee Chan

Bookshelf

Engaging with fiction films devoted to heroic tales from the decade and a half between 1949 and 1966, this book reconceives state propaganda as aesthetic experiments that not only radically transformed acting, cinematography and screenwriting in socialist China, but also articulated a new socialist film theory and criticism. Rooted in the interwar avant-garde and commercial cinema, Chinese revolutionary cinema, as a state cinema for the newly established People's Republic, adapted Chinese literature for the screen, incorporated Hollywood narration, appropriated Soviet montage theory and orchestrated a new, glamorous, socialist star culture. In the wake of decolonisation, Chinese film journals were quick …

Examining Patients’ Satisfaction In Jordanian Emergency Departments Through Business Process Improvement Implementation, Mohammed Shaker Ibrahim

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There have been recent advancements in healthcare services provision to enhance patients’ satisfaction. Previous research has concluded that Jordanian ratings of service quality and quality of care provided in public hospitals are lower compared to other nations in the region and abroad. These studies, however, failed to utilize any standardized customer satisfaction tools. At the same little empirical research has attempted to investigate the link of business process improvement in Jordanian hospitals to the enhancement of patients’ satisfaction. This research bridges the gap in the literature by first testing and validating SERVQUAL, a customer satisfaction tool, in Jordanian hospital environments …

Communication Of Sexual Information From Child To Parent, Andrew Armbruster

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Communication of sexual information from child to parent is an area of communication that remains understudied. During the winter of 2018, a researcher conducted in-depth retrospective interviews with emerging adults from the ages of 18 to 22 to determine what adolescents share with their parents about their sexual beliefs and experiences. Communication privacy management theory was used as a framework for analyzing how and why adolescents shared sexual information and beliefs with their parents. The researcher found a better understanding of the process a child goes through when deciding if they should disclose their sexual beliefs and experiences with their …

Country Snapshot Albania, Leonie Vrugtman

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A brief summary of the history and current status of religion in Albania.

Survey Report North Macedonia, Viktorija Borovska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

One of the activities of the project ‘Role of Religion in Western Balkan Societies’ was an elite survey that enabled us to gain an insight into views and perceptions on issues related to religiosity, the role and influence of religion, threats and opportunities of religious diversity and suggestions on how religion can contribute to the different social aspects of the various countries of the region.

Cross Country Comparison And Concluding Remarks, Viktorija Borovska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Political, economic and cultural elites in the Western Balkans share common views on the role of religion in society, but different perspectives on the challenges and concerns related to interreligious relations.

Survey Report Montenegro, Nenad Zekavica

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

During March and April 2019, a survey was conducted as part of the regional project that deals with the role of religion in Western Balkan countries. The survey was conducted as part of a research project and was conducted among members of the cultural and political elite of society. Its purpose is to give a sketch of the religious beliefs of different societies. The survey itself was developed as the result of the mutual cooperation among four partner institutions in the Balkans.

Microfluidic Synthesis Of Plga/Carbon Quantum Dot Microspheres For Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Delivery, Meisam Omidi, Mohadeseh Hashemi, Lobat Tayebi

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

In this study, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) loaded poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) – carbon quantum dot microspheres were produced using microfluidic platforms. The microcapsules were fabricated in flow-focusing geometry with a biphasic flow to generate solid/oil/water (s–o–w) droplets. To avoid any damage to protein functional and structural stability during the encapsulation process, the VEGF was PEGylated. The produced microspheres were intact and highly monodisperse in size (CV < 5%). Furthermore, microspheres in a size range of 16–36 µm were achieved by adjusting the flow ratio parameter. The encapsulation efficiency, release profile, and bioactivity of the produced microparticles were also studied. The loading efficiency of PEGylated VEGF in the microparticles was varied from 51–69% and more than 90% of PEGylated VEGF was released within 28 days. Furthermore, the release of VEGF was indirectly monitored by carbon quantum dots. The present monodisperse and controllable VEGF loaded microspheres with reproducible manner could be widely used in tissue engineering and therapeutic applications.

Exploring Action Coils For Bystander Intervention: Modeling Bystander Consequences, Victoria Banyard, Elizabeth Moschella, Ernest N. Jouriles, John H. Grych

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: Individuals who take action to reduce sexual assault can experience a range of positive and negative consequences as a result of helping. This study examined how different types of consequences explain variation in confidence and intent to help. Participants: Nine hundred sixty-six individuals who reported intervening in a situation involving interpersonal violence; approximately half were recruited from university psychology courses and half through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Data were collected from September to December of 2016. Methods: Participants completed measures of consequences related to helping, bystander efficacy, and intent to help. Results: Positive reactions from victims and other individuals who …

Sustainability And Impact Of Lung Health Outpatient Resource Center, Maureen Lintner, Jose Morales, Rosario Dominguez, Margarita Pallares, Maribel Matos, Robert Ramirez, Tina Hyman, Cristiana Rivas

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Unbundling Property In Boston’S Urban Food Commons, Oona Morrow, Deborah Martin

Geography

Households and community organizations are involved in the creation, use, care, and management of urban spaces, including through food practices such as planting, foraging, harvesting, weeding and pruning at the ambiguous edges of public and private property. Drawing on case studies in Boston, Massachusetts, we examine how commons are articulated through these practices, particularly in relation to multiple dimensions of property rights. Specifically, we ask how food practices can open urban spaces to negotiations around access, responsibility, care, and ownership, especially when (property) ownership is not an end-goal, but a circumstance shaping other practices. Using interviews and participant observation of …