Digital Commons Network^™

Contribution Of Intestinal Dysfunction To Alzheimer’S Disease Progression, Mona Sohrabi Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Longer life expectancies, due to advanced medical care, social, and environmental conditions, helped increase the number and percentage of Americans aging to ≥85. The number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) age 65 or older is projected to be 7.1 and 13.8 million by 2025 and 2050, respectively. The total annual health care expense for AD patients is estimated to increase from $290 billion in 2019 to more than $1.1 trillion in 2050 (Association, 2019). Conclusively, AD is expected to become a more common cause of death and a major public health predicament due to aging of the baby boom …

Effects Of Intrapartum Nitrous Oxide Use On Comfort And Satisfaction With The Birth Experience, Tami Such

Theses and Dissertations

Background/Purpose: Increased availability of intrapartum nitrous oxide in the United States given recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of associated delivery devices has provided women an alternative intrapartum pain management strategy currently underutilized in the United States despite long standing history of effectiveness in other countries (Richardson et al., 2017b). However, the effect of pain on the experience of birth and present emphasis on patient-centered care and shared decision-making, potential improvement of women’s satisfaction with the birth experience when nitrous oxide is used was an understudied concept in extant literature. Also, given the possibility of pain and comfort as …

Elementary And Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Native American Students’ Academic Performances In North Dakota, Andrew Younkam Mangwa

Theses and Dissertations

Low academic performance among Native American students has been a problem for several decades. Some researchers like Bradbury et al. (2012) have studied issues related to education, but have not targeted elementary and secondary school students’ academic performances. More needs to be done, specifically on Native American students’ academic achievements, to understand the problem and provide data that could potentially ameliorate the situation. Data on state assessments from North Dakota’s Department of Public Instruction has shown low academic performances for students from kindergarten through 12th grades in school districts with high Native American student enrollments (Insights.nd.gov, 2018). This quantitative study …

How Athletic Trainers Use Goal Setting With Injured Athletes, Jenna Wing

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to identify if current Certified Athletic Trainers (ATCs) understand the importance of consistent use of sport psychology, specifically goal setting, in the athletic training room with injured athletes. Participants (n = 77) were current ATCs who have been certified by the Board of Certification (BOC), who had proper licensure in their designated districts, and were members of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). A questionnaire was created to assess the frequency with which they used goal setting, how important and effective they feel goal setting is, and how prepared they feel to use …

Cellphones, Sexting And Crime: An Examination Of College Student Practices, Melissa Spelchen

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory dissertation research involves assessing the prevalence of sexting (sending, receiving and/or forwarding of sexually explicit images with your smart phone) that is taking place among young adults on a Midwest college campus. Other key findings include: a profile of those who sext whether in a conformist or non-conformist manner, and those who do not sext, profiles of and the toll on self-reported victims of the behavior, sexting motivations, and the possible connection to prevalent smart phone ownership. In addition, North Dakota is one of a few states that has a law prohibiting some forms of sexting; therefore, this …

Narrative Transportation Effects In Relationship With Empathy, Compassion For Students, And Self-Compassion In Student Affairs Professionals, Miriam Margarita Wood Alameda

Theses and Dissertations

Prior studies found that audiences can become more empathic and form a positive view of a character as a result of Narrative Transportation (NT). Thus, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the effects of NT on Student Affairs (SA) professionals. 78 SA professionals were randomly assigned to one of two narrative groups (text or video). The results of this study indicated that participants in the video group show greater transportation than those in the text group. Furthermore, SA professionals showed that being familiar with the student experience was more important than sharing an identity with the student …

Mapping Land Use And Land Cover Change And Its Impact On Landscape Structure And Amphibian Functional Connectivity In The Prairie Pothole Region, Taylor Holm

Theses and Dissertations

Monitoring land use and land cover (LULC) change and its effect on habitat availability and connectivity is crucial for species conservation and management. This is most efficiently accomplished at a sufficiently broad scale using remote sensing technology. Current approaches benefit from freely available data sources such as National Land Cover Database (NLCD), derived from 30 m Landsat imagery. However, temporal frequency and spatial resolution of NLCD may be insufficient for some applications. Specifically, 30 m resolution data may not detect small or narrow landscape features that may be important habitat for small animals such as amphibians. Other available data sources, …

The Relationship Between Saudi Citizen Perceptions Of Vision 2030 And Saudi Government Social Media Use To Promote Vision 2030, Essa Saleh Alkathiri

Theses and Dissertations

Public relations (PR) tools have enabled more communication between governments and citizens in the whole world. However, a single communication channel could be widespread among many governments. These PR tools help governments to share national goals, projects, and programs with their citizens. Grunig and Hunt (1984) highlighted that the value of two-way communication channels is better suited to develop an understanding between public organizations (i.e. governments) and citizens to establish both internal and external mutual public-organization or citizen-government understanding. However, the practical implementation of two-way communication channels for the government-citizen relationships and dialog remains is unclear. As a result, the …

Using Mentoring Enactment Theory To Explore How Saudis Receive Mentorship In Public Sector Organizations With Vision 2030, Mhammed Mosleh A Alzahrani

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored mentoring relationships inside Saudi’s public sector organizations by applying Mentoring Enactment Theory (MET), developed by Kalbfleisch (2002), which explored the relationships between mentors and proteges in an informal professional way. Relationships based on this theory are considered unique, and mentors and proteges have close relationships (Kalbfleisch, 2007). This study focused on Saudi employees on public sector organizations (N = 505) and what their perception about informal mentoring relationships in their workplace environment. Informal mentoring relationships in public sector organizations of Saudi Arabia was what this study was developed to explore using MET focusing on the informal mentorship …

Mass Shootings As The New Normal: An Evaluation Of Wikipedia Data And Flashbulb Memories As A Measurement Of Public Perception, Richard Belz

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: As mass shootings have become more frequent in recent years, one question that arises is whether the public’s attention and memory of these mass shootings may be becoming less salient over time. To evaluate changes in the saliency and public interest in these tragedies, this two-part study 1) utilized open access data from Wikipedia and 2) measured the presence of flashbulb memories (FBM) for these events.

Methods: For Part I, changes in byte size and edits in 19 mass shooting Wikipedia articles were examined over 12 months to determine public interest in these events. In Part II, 500 participants …

Juror Perceptions Of Interview Quality From Child Victims With Autism, Megan Blackburn

Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can affect multiple memory abilities, including episodic memory, source monitoring, and relational processing. The possibility of these memory deficits can affect how a child with ASD testifies in court if they are the victim or witness to a crime. These testimonies are especially crucial for Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) cases where one of the biggest challenges is the lack of physical evidence in most cases, which leads to an abundance of trials relying on the initial forensic interview with the victim and victim testimony. Due to this, and the increased chance of affected memory abilities, it …

Mountain Lions In North Dakota: A Public Opinion Survey, Theodore A. Darnell

Theses and Dissertations

Breeding mountain lion (Puma concolor) populations currently inhabit the western portion of North Dakota. In recent years, apparent increases in human-lion interactions across North Dakota, and other Midwest states, have challenged wildlife managers who strive to balance biological and social carrying capacities of these animals. In 2019, we surveyed 2,000 residents of North Dakota, USA, using a self-administered mail survey to discern knowledge of and attitudes towards mountain lions, and to explore whether the presence of these animals would influence decisions to recreate in western North Dakota. Our questionnaire included 12 questions designed to ascertain respondent attitudes towards mountain lions. …

Safety Culture In Collegiate Aviation: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Between Multiple Universities, Robert Foster

Theses and Dissertations

A concurrent-embedded mixed method was used to evaluate observed outcomes of safety culture among multiple collegiate aviation programs in the U.S. A hypothesized model that measures the relationships between scales of safety management systems (SMS), safety motivation (mediator), and safety behaviors (safety compliance, safety reporting, and safety participation) was assessed using structural equation modeling/path analysis (SEM/PA). Demographic differences in safety culture were also evaluated. Semi-structured interviews were used further to understand the impacts of SMS on safety culture. Findings suggest significant predictive relationships between SMS and observed safety culture outcomes. There was also a significant mediation role of safety motivation …

The Impact Of Clinician Attachment Style On Burnout And Job Satisfaction: Introducing Mindfulness As A Mediator, Jill Marie Calderon

Theses and Dissertations

Attachment style is theorized to develop in childhood, as a result of the bonds that develop between child and caregiver. The research has shown individuals with an insecure attachment style are more at risk for job burnout and less satisfied with their jobs. This study proposed, mindfulness may be the internal process influencing the relationship between attachment style, burnout and job satisfaction. Mindfulness is defined as paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally and has found to be positively correlated with secure attachment styles. Additionally, mindfulness has shown to have a negative relationship with burnout and a positive …

The Impact Of Safety On Fleet Acquisition And Management In U.S Commercial Airlines, Dinusha Sammani Gunarathna

Theses and Dissertations

The topic of aircraft safety is pervasive in many domains of the airline industry and it influences all types of air transportation operations. Aircraft acquisition and fleet planning are key functions in a commercial airline to ensure the achievement of the airline’s operational goals such as matching capacity with demand. With fluctuations in passenger demand, it is vital to strategically plan an airline’s fleet to best accommodate these changes and to safely do so. Existent literature suggests that aircraft safety is factored into passenger decision to choose an airline which then impacts the economics of an airline. The purpose of …

The Art And Science Of Transition: A Descriptive Case Study Between A Two- And A Four-Year Institution, Kaylyn Marie Bondy

Theses and Dissertations

The vast majority of students who enroll in a two-year college intend to earn a bachelor’s degree. However, only about 14% transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree within six years (Jenkins & Fink, 2016). The need to increase the number of bachelor’s degree holders (Torpey, 2018), and the increasing number of students beginning at two-year institutions demands the creation of smoother transfer pathways (Handel, 2013). Vertical transfer students comprise a majority of transfer-related studies, however, little research has focused on the efficiency and efficacy of that process (Gard, Paton, & Gosselin, 2012). Institutions can strengthen transfer student resources with a …

The Role Of Candidate Gender And Political Support: An Experimental Approach To Understanding Voter Perceptions And Support For Female Presidential Candidates, Jenna Nichole Laurin

Theses and Dissertations

Female candidates are at a disadvantage in the political sphere, facing underrepresentation and stereotype hurdles at all levels of elected office. While female candidates have overcome some of these obstacles and won elections at the state and local levels, there has never been a female candidate elected President. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether female and male candidates are judged differently on measures of competence, warmth, traits, and willingness to vote. Employing a 2 (candidate gender) x 2 (participant gender) x 2 (candidate party) manipulation, 370 participants read a fictitious article about Presidential candidates and rated …

Detection And Characteristics Of Blowing Snow At Mcmurdo Station, Antarctica During The Aware Field Campaign, Nicole Loeb

Theses and Dissertations

Blowing snow is an impactful process in cold climates that affects regional thermodynamics, radiation properties, and the surface mass balance of snow. Though it has significant climatic impacts, the process is still poorly understood and not widely included in weather and climate models. In 2016, the AWARE Field Campaign saw the deployment of a large suite of in situ and remote sensing instruments to McMurdo Station, Antarctica allowing for investigation of blowing snow. A ceilometer-based blowing snow detection algorithm used elsewhere in Antarctica is applied to data from AWARE, yielding a blowing snow frequency of 14.1% compared to 8.2% as …

Influences On The Development Of Ethical Decision-Making In Speech-Language Pathology Students: A Phenomenological Study Of Graduate Students And Clinical Supervisors, Joni K. Mehrhoff

Theses and Dissertations

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) serve as members of the interprofessional team for complex patients. As such, SLPs are required to uphold ethical practices and respond to the needs of patients, their families, healthcare organizations, and the interprofessional team. Speech-language pathology graduates are part of the ethical healthcare team during clinical experiences. Yet, limited research is available to define the development of student ethical decision-making. The purpose of this study was to explore what influences SLP graduate students and clinical supervisors ascribe to in the development of ethical decision-making. Participants included five SLP graduate students and six SLP clinical supervisors from accredited …

Student Athlete Perceptions On Coaches' Relationships Impacting Continued Participation In High School Athletics, Mark Allen Rerick

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher’s purpose for this study was to review and analyze student-athlete perceptions of their high school athletic experience based on one school district’s collected data. This research provides athletic directors knowledge and direction to better define the philosophy, goals, and organizational structure of their athletic departments. Using quantitative and qualitative data, the researcher examined secondary data collected to identify reasons student-athletes participate in athletics as well as understand why some student-athletes may not continue their participation in high school athletics. The researcher also explored the contrasting goals of privately run sports clubs and high school sponsored athletic programs and …

How Affect Rhetoric And A Changing Digital Landscape Shape Youth Digital Social Movements Of The Twenty-First Century, Amanda Frances Pasierb

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores three youth digital social movements, which have taken place throughout the twenty-first century: the Invisible Children movement of Uganda, the Bring Back Our Girls movement of Nigeria, and the Never Again movement of the United States. Using rhetorical analysis of each movement, I explore the relationship each has with youth, digital, social movement, and activism. Specifically, I seek to answer the following research questions: (1) with youth in the forefront of each movement, how have the movements utilized affective rhetoric to promote and gain support, and (2) how have youth digital social movements evolved throughout the twenty-first …

Transitions In Tumultuous Times: Teachers’ Experiences With Distance Learning Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lisa Ross-Hain

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 prompted the first nationwide extended educational disruption, resulting in many challenges for teachers as they were forced to a distance teaching and learning model. Educators modified curricular content, delivery, and assessment methods to accommodate and engage learners and maintain academic expectations while at the same time attempting to mitigate undue stress for their students. Teachers met this task with little to no adaptive expertise to draw from, as few had previous experience with distance teaching. Constructivist theory guided this qualitative study exploring teachers’ experiences in distance learning through a lens of adaptive …

Modelling Of A Microgrid Using Z Notation, Binisha Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

A Microgrid is a group of electrical sources and connected loads that operate energy grids in grid-connected or islanded mode. Microgrid usage has increased recently due to improved technology andthe effectiveness of renewable energy sources. To produce a balanced and stable power supply frommicrogrids and meet the load demand is a challenging research area in both the electrical engineering and software engineering fields. This work presents a formal model for representing the microgrid system to prevent failure or inconsistencies in the power generation and usage. A methodology for creating a formal model for a microgrid is a critical approach to …

Dr. Andrew Foster's Contributions To Deaf Education In Africa, The Ghana Years (1957-1965), Joel Benjamin Runnels

Theses and Dissertations

Dr. Andrew Foster (1925-1987) was a Deaf African American missionary educator known to have established among the first 32 schools for the d/Deaf across 13 African nations. Foster tragically died in the 1987 Rwanda airplane accident. Deaf communities in Africa and the United States, soon after, lionized him as the “father of d/Deaf education in Africa”. Chroniclers of history largely ignored Foster and treated as invisible his contributions to d/Deaf education.

I had been waiting, like many, for researchers to give an in depth, historical treatment to Foster’s work. I felt knowledge from such a study would support me to …

Application Of Formal Specification Technique To Microgrid Representation, Maksym Tkach

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses formal specification techniques to analyze and model a microgrid. A microgrid is a small, local electrical grid, often supplied by a single generator, that can connect to the larger electrical grid, but can also disconnect from it, going into “island mode.” Thanks to the growth in renewable energy, microgrids represent a growing segment of the electrical power generation domain. And like any member of the domain they are safety-critical systems, meaning that even a small mistake in their implementation risks damage to life and property.Formal specification is a way to abrogate the risks of safety critical systems …

Uncertainty Quantification And Economic Dispatch Models For The Power Grid, Arun Sukumaran Nair

Theses and Dissertations

The modern power grid is constrained by several challenges, such as increased penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER), rising demand for Electric Vehicle (EV) integration, and the need to schedule resources in real-time accurately. To address the above challenges, this dissertation offers solutions through data-driven forecasting models, topology-aware economic dispatch models, and efficient optional power flow calculations for large scale grids. Particularly, in chapter 2, a novel microgrid decomposition scheme is proposed to divide the large scale power grids into smaller microgrids. Here, a two-stage Nearest-Generator Girvan-Newman (NGGN) algorithm, a graphicalclustering-based approach, followed by a distributed economic dispatch model, is …

The Effects Of Modulating Accommodative-Vergence Stress Within The Context Of Operator Performance On Automated System Tasks, Kyle Anthony Bernhardt

Theses and Dissertations

Automated systems (e.g., self-driving cars, autopilot) can reduce an operator’s (i.e., driver, pilot, baggage screener) task engagement, which can result in mind wandering, distraction, and loss of concentration. Consequently, unfavorable performance outcomes, such as missed critical signals and slow responses to emergency events, can occur. Because automation reverts the operator to a “visual monitoring” role, the oculomotor accommodative-vergence responses (the oculomotor responses that maintain a single focused image on the retina) may play a vital role in human-automation interactions. Prior research has shown that individuals with deficits in the accommodative-vergence responses can exhibit inattentive symptoms (e.g., poor concentration) characteristic of …

Asexual Experiences Of Microaggressions Scale: Instrument Development And Evaluation, Evelyn Estela Ayala

Theses and Dissertations

The present paper explores the experience of microaggressions among asexuals and relevant literature. There is a dearth of research on asexuality, particularly as it relates to the experience of microaggressions. However, research suggests that microaggressions have a cumulative impact on both physical and emotional well-being as reported by all minority groups that face microaggressions (Lewis, 2009, Mayer, 2010). The development of a scale that measures the experience of microaggressions would allow for this area of research to be further studied. The paper utilized DeVellis’s (2017) method for scale development to develop a psychometrically sound scale assessing the experience of microaggressions …

Predictors Of Professional Quality Of Life In Rural Nurses, Stephanie Deese

Theses and Dissertations

Worldwide nursing shortages have led to an increased burden on healthcare systems, and this is especially true in already underserved, remote, and rural areas, where access to healthcare is limited and the loss of highly-skilled nursing professionals is deeply-felt. Professional quality of life (ProQOL) has been studied as a major influence on nurses’ wellbeing, job satisfaction, burnout rates, turnover rates, and quality of care. While certain job-related factors that impact nurses’ ProQOL outcomes have been identified – excessive workload, exposure to trauma, financial strain due to low wages, lack of or over-emotional engagement in the workplace, individual disposition – certain …

An Exploration Of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions, Cerynn Dawn Desjarlais

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive exploratory research is amongst the first to investigate Spiritual Microaggressions experienced by Indigenous Peoples across North America. Microaggressions can further be conceptualized and categorized as microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations. Participants who self-identify as Indigenous individuals ages 18 and over, from North America, who work in or are educated in the mental health field engaged in 60-90-minute interviews to explore the spiritual microaggressions incurred upon them. A total of 8 participants who identify as mental health professionals and graduate students in the mental health field were interviewed as an intensity sample. Participants discussed the implications of Indigenous Spiritual Microaggressions …