Digital Commons Network^™

Here Comes The Sum

DePaul Magazine

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will conduct its once-every-10-years count of people living in the country. The results of this census, as well as the other censuses the bureau conducts every year, fuel research and help determine the distribution of federal dollars. This article looks at research uses of the data and how the census has changed through the centuries.

Individual And Population Fitness Consequences Associated With Large Carnivore Use Of Residential Development, Heather Johnson, David L. Lewis, Stewart W. Breck

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Large carnivores are negotiating increasingly developed landscapes, but little is known about how such behavioral plasticity influences their demographic rates and population trends. Some investigators have suggested that the ability of carnivores to behaviorally adapt to human development will enable their persistence, and yet, others have suggested that such landscapes are likely to serve as population sinks or ecological traps. To understand how plasticity in black bear (Ursus americanus) use of residential development influences their population dynamics, we conducted a 6-yr study near Durango, Colorado, USA. Using space-use data on individual bears, we examined the influence of use of residential …

Women In (Em)Power: A Qualitative Study Of Orthodox Women Principals, Yael Wakslak Rosenberg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Orthodox Jewish women who occupy the role of school principal in Orthodox Jewish schools. What distinguishes these individuals is that they are accomplished females who, in addition to overcoming the common challenges of women in leadership positions, as Orthodox Jews, their environments, both the ones they were raised in and the ones they currently work in, create a distinct expectation of gender roles, cultural identity and leadership characteristics. Additionally, this study explores how the shaping of their gender, cultural and leadership identities continue to manifest themselves and impact the …

Tools For Monitoring And Study Of Peregrine Pheretimoid Earthworms (Megascolecidae), Timothy S. Mccay, George Brown, Mac A. Callaham, Chih Han Chang, Andrea Dávalos, Annise Dobson, Josef H. Görres, Bradley M. Herrick, Samuel W. James, Marie R. Johnston, Damhnait Mchugh, Tanya Minteer, Jean David Moore, Maryam Nouri-Aiin, Marta Novo, Jaime Ortiz-Pachar, Rebecca A. Pinder, Justin B. Richardson, Bruce A. Snyder

Faculty and Staff Works

Peregrine pheretimoid earthworms, commonly known as jumping worms, are members of the family Megascolecidae that have become widely established outside of their native ranges. In many parts of the world this represents a second wave of earthworm invasions, following the introduction of peregrine European earthworms in the family Lumbricidae during the colonial era. Forest ecologists, turf managers, gardeners, and other land managers are concerned about the observed or presumed negative effects of jumping worms on invaded habitats. Although research on jumping worms has accelerated in recent decades, our understanding of their ecology remains limited. We compiled techniques useful to researchers …

It's Complicated: The Impact Of Marriage Legalization Among Sexual Minority Women And Gender Diverse Individuals In The United States, Laurie Drabble, Angie Wootton, Cindy Veldhuis, Ellen Perry, Ellen Riggle, Karen Trocki, Tonda Hughes

Faculty Publications

This mixed-methods study explored perceptions of the impact of marriage legalization in all U.S.states among sexual minority women and gender diverse individuals. Survey data were collectedfrom a nonprobability sample of individuals 18 years or older who identified as lesbian, bisexual,queer, same-sex attracted or something other than exclusively heterosexual—as well asindividuals who identified as transgender or gender nonbinary (for example, genderqueer, transwoman, trans man, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming). The analytic sample included 418participants in an online survey who responded to open-ended questions about the perceivedimpact of marriage legalization. Qualitative analyses revealed perceptions of marriagelegalization that situated individual meanings in the context …

Elementary Charter School Enrollment And Economic Segregation In Two Urban Minnesota Public School Districts, Jeffrey Michael Sambs

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used a quantitative historical research design and multivariate mixed method analysis to examine whether there is a relationship between charter school enrollment and economic segregation at the elementary level in the public schools of two urban Minnesota districts, Saint Paul Public Schools and Minneapolis Public Schools. Economic segregation is measured using dissimilarity index scores calculated from 2006 to 2010. Data were collected from the Minnesota Department of Education using the federally mandated October 1 reporting statistics database. The results of the study were different for each school district. There was a statistically significant, and positive, relationship between charter …

Trends In Chondrichthyan Research: An Analysis Of Three Decades Of Conference Abstracts, D. S. Shiffman, M. U. Ajemian, J. C. Carrier, T. S. Daly-Engel, M. M. Davis, N. K. Dulvy, R. D. Grubbs, N. A. Hinojosa, J. Imhoff, M. A. Kolmann, C. S. Nash, E. W. M. Paig-Tran, E. E. Peele, R. A. Skubel, Bradley M. Wetherbee, L. B. Whitenack, J. T. Wyffels

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Given the conservation status and ecological, cultural, and commercial importance of chondrichthyan fishes, it is valuable to evaluate the extent to which research attention is spread across taxa and geographic locations and to assess the degree to which scientific research is appropriately addressing the challenges they face. Here we review trends in research effort over three decades (1985–2016) through content analysis of every abstract (n = 2,701) presented at the annual conference of the American Elasmobranch Society (AES), the oldest and largest professional society focused on the scientific study and management of these fishes. The most common research areas …

Annotated Bibliography Of Scientific Research On Greater Sage-Grouse Published From 2015 To 2019, Sarah K. Carter, Robert S. Arkle, Heidi L. Bencin, Benjamin R. Harms, Daniel J. Manier, Aaron N. Johnston, Susan L. Phillips, Steven E. Hanser, Zachary H. Bowen

United States Geological Survey: Publications

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter GRSG) has been a focus of scientific investigation and management action for the past two decades. The 2015 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing determination of “not warranted” was in part due to a large-scale collaborative effort to develop strategies to conserve GRSG populations and their habitat and to reduce threats to both. New scientific information augments existing knowledge and can help inform updates or modifications to existing plans for managing GRSG and sagebrush ecosystems. However, the sheer number of scientific publications can be a challenge for managers tasked with evaluating and …

Accessible Usability: Distinguishing Two Fields Of Web Development, Ty Lazarchik

Theses & ETDs

Accessibility and usability are often presented as tightly coupled, with the former being a subset of the latter. However, there is a lack of robust research to back this claim. This thesis demonstrates the flaws in considering the fields to be intertwined by proving that a website that follows usability practices may still lack adherence to accessibility standards. This is done by creating a website for New College’s computer science department through iterative design principles and analyzing the resulting website for adherence to accessibility standards. The results of this thesis show that a website created according to usability standards can …

Más Que Cubano: Linked Fate, Transnationalism, And Generational Differences Among Cuban Immigrants, Bryan Cruz

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Latinos in the United States are a diverse group, and their growing presence and recent elections illustrate the importance of understanding and recognizing their distinct political identities. The political identity of Cuban immigrants has been understood as being an anomaly among Latino groups and is largely referred to as an outlier in research of Latin American immigration. The intent of this thesis is to explore the question of why some Latin American immigrants relate to a greater Latino identity. Linked fate is identified as a relevant concept that addresses the formation of group identity. From the literature, transnational connections and …

Systematic Literature Review Of Cognitive Behavioral Treatments For Patients With Classical, Secondary, And Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia, Linnea B. Herzog

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful neuralgia with a complicated pathology that is not clearly understood. Due to the ambiguity of the condition, patients often have to search for medical providers that specialize in trigeminal neuralgia, and even with the guidance of a specialist, some patients do not respond well to treatment.¹ Despite the uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the disease, there are treatments available that can provide some level of pain relief for patients suffering from this disorder. When a patient does not respond well to medical therapy, surgery can be the next appropriate step in patient care management. …

Rural Npo Leadership In Time Of Volatility: A Study Of Nonprofit Organizations In South Dakota, Mellissa Heermann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study determined the legitimacy of the leadership gap in Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) in South Dakota by collecting quantitative and qualitative data and then comparing the results with national studies. It aimed to understand if NPOs were more vulnerable to leadership transitions and the costs associated with them. It also provided additional insight for future research opportunities. While there were studies on larger NPOs, such as the United Way, or NPOs in more highly populated regions, there was a gap in research for rural NPOs that potentially would not be financially able to research these trends on their own. …

Librarians And Administrators On Academic Library Impact Research: Characteristics And Perspectives, James Cheng, Starr Hoffman Phd

Library Faculty Research

This study surveyed librarians, researchers, administrators, and others engaged in research on the impact of academic libraries on student success. This study, sponsored by an ACRL Impact Grant, specifically sought to expand the ACRL Academic Library Impact report, which defined strategic directions for library impact research, largely defined from the perspective of high-level administrators. This study addressed this limitation by surveying and interviewing professional librarians who are directly conducting library impact research, asking about their research experience, their attitudes about impact research, and their response to the ACRL report. Notable findings include differences in attitudes between librarians and library administrators …

Academic Backgrounds, Career Paths And Presidential Success : A Mixed Methods Study Of State University Of New York Presidents, Kishmar Best

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Higher education in the United States has grown from a single course designed to educate administrators and faculty to serve within colleges and universities, to a robust field of study with hundreds of graduate programs across the country. Despite a lengthy body of research on college and university presidents, there is little to no research that demonstrates the efficacy of higher education programs to prepare their graduates to serve as presidents. Additionally, an anticipated leadership shortage is on the horizon, as the current generation of presidents nears retirement age. It is important to learn more about the backgrounds of current …

Review Of A Remediation Program In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Christopher Thomas Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New nurse graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in order to achieve nursing licensure. In Northern New Mexico associate degree nursing program with a large disadvantaged student population, the average pass rate for the licensure exam often falls below the state board of nursing mandated 80% pass rate. This study's purpose was to evaluate the effect of an NCLEX remediation program on students' ability to pass the NCLEX, using Knowles adult learning theory to guide this work. The research questions investigated the relation between the remedial instruction and the 2 dependent variables KAPLAN predictor scores and NCLEX …

Lived Experiences Of African Americans 65 And Older After Rural Hospital Closures, Derrick Mike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans 65 and older have had varied experiences due to losing immediate access to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment for emergency medical conditions. This phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of those residing in areas after a rural hospital closure occurred. The hospital was the primary and nearest facility for receiving immediate access to urgent treatment. The research questions focused on the encounters experienced by the participants after the hospital closure. The Health Belief Model was the conceptual framework used for this study. The method and data analysis procedures included interviews, field notes, a life-course chart, …

Self-Actualized Leadership: Exploring The Intersection Of Inclusive Leadership And Workplace Spirituality At A Faith-Based Institution Of Higher Education, Kerri Cissna

Theses and Dissertations

Today’s leaders are facing complex business problems that require a moral compass and more than one person to solve. Bill Gates extols that organizations must innovate or die (Lee, 2013) and it is becoming widely accepted that diversity and inclusion are key factors in cultivating the innovative workplace (Kurschner & Schmidt, 2017). Although religion has been relegated to the margins of organizational leadership studies, a new era of globalization has ushered in opportunities for spirituality to become a conduit for self-actualization and inclusive leadership. Therefore, inclusive leadership and workplace spirituality are needed to address some of these pressing matters.

This …

'Massacres', 'Tragedies, ‘Genocide:’ A Critical Analysis Of Differing Perspectives On The Armenian Genocide, Samuel Hugo Willner

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay………………………………4

II. Bibliography…………………………………..31

III. Primary Documents and Headnotes………33

IV. Textbook Critique…………………………….43

V. New Textbook Entry…………………………..46

Think Like A Teacher: How Reflective Educators Use Multiple Data Sources To Inform Their Practice, Jana Grabarek

Dissertations

Teacher data use has become an increasingly central feature of American education. Messages from the public policy, research, philanthropy, and professional development arenas assert that collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data€”particularly number-based achievement data€”will increase student achievement. in this dissertation, a review of literature exploring the link between data use and achievement yielded mixed results. While increased achievement was slightly more likely when data use involved multiple types of data and/or data use strategies, its effectiveness was not consistently supported, and least apparent when tied to marginalized students. to better understand what effective data use might look like at the micro …

Text Mining Methods For Analyzing Online Health Information And Communication, Sifei Han

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

The Internet provides an alternative way to share health information. Specifically, social network systems such as Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and disease specific online support forums are increasingly being used to share information on health related topics. This could be in the form of personal health information disclosure to seek suggestions or answering other patients' questions based on their history. This social media uptake gives a new angle to improve the current health communication landscape with consumer generated content from social platforms. With these online modes of communication, health providers can offer more immediate support to the people seeking advice. Non-profit …

Apparel Sizing And Fit For Girls: Variation Of Select Companies, And Parent Opinions, Peggy Sowah, Ashia

Theses and Dissertations--Retailing and Tourism Management

The act of shopping for girl's clothes is a delight of most parents. It ignites the pleasure of being a parent. However, many parents and their girls have experienced the frustration of inconsistent sizing and fit of their girl's clothes across brands. The purpose of this study was to understand the sizing and fit problems of girls ages 7-12 and to evaluate how brands utilize the current sizing standards. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a population of 150 (N=150) female parents. A survey was administered to help gain a better understanding and assess parent opinion of …

A Historical Review Of The State Police Powers And Their Relevance To The Covid-19 Pandemic Of 2020, Edward P. Richards

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Student Collaborations In Introductory Statistics Courses; A Network Study, Isabel S. Nowinowski

Open Access Master's Theses

Generation Z, also known as iGen, (individuals born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s), characterized as tech-savvy, independent, and visual, is beginning to graduate college and enter the workforce. While significant research effort has focused on understanding the learning preferences of the preceding Millennial generation (individuals born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s), less is known about the way technology has influenced the educational expectations and learning preferences of Generation Z. A deeper and broader understanding of the way this generation learns would allow universities to modify and enhance course structures and teaching methodologies to suit this incoming generation of …

The Effects Of Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome In Nag-1 Transgenic Mice, Nicholas Werner

All Master's Theses

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of infertility among women in the US and the most common endocrine disorder among women. PCOS is characterized by cystic ovaries, hyperandrogenism (heightened levels of male sex hormones), altered menstrual cycles and various metabolic dysfunctions. The metabolic symptoms associated with PCOS are difficult to treat, as they are a result of hormonal imbalances, rather than diet. The human Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Activated Gene (NAG-1) been shown to prevent diet-induced metabolic disorders and weight gain in mice. We hypothesized that the expression of NAG-1 may also prevent hormonal-induced metabolic disorders. To test this …

Tigard-Tualatin School District Enrollment Forecast 2020-21 To 2029-30, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Joshua Ollinger

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC) for the Tigard‐Tualatin School District (TTSD). The study includes analyses of population, housing and enrollment trends affecting the District in recent years, estimates of the impacts of housing development on TTSD enrollment, and forecasts of district‐wide and individual school enrollments for the 2020‐21 to 2029‐30 school years.

Review Of A Remediation Program In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Christopher Thomas Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New nurse graduates must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in order to achieve nursing licensure. In Northern New Mexico associate degree nursing program with a large disadvantaged student population, the average pass rate for the licensure exam often falls below the state board of nursing mandated 80% pass rate. This study's purpose was to evaluate the effect of an NCLEX remediation program on students' ability to pass the NCLEX, using Knowles adult learning theory to guide this work. The research questions investigated the relation between the remedial instruction and the 2 dependent variables KAPLAN predictor scores and NCLEX …

Trees, Fungi, Insects: How Host Plant Genetics Builds A Community, Sandra Jeanne Simon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organisms, such as fungi and insects, can cause millions of acres of agricultural and forest damage, while others provide billions of dollars in ecological services such as education, aesthetic enjoyment, pollination, and gardening. Plant breeding and biotechnology can potentially help establish a balance between the proliferation of detrimental pests and attraction of beneficial insects. Variation in plant physiological and morphological characteristics are extremely important in the ability of host tissues to support many different types of organisms. When that variation is genetically heritable in a plant population, shifts in the underlying genes can have predictable consequences in structuring entire ecosystems. …

Palmprint Gender Classification Using Deep Learning Methods, Minou Khayami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gender identification is an important technique that can improve the performance of authentication systems by reducing searching space and speeding up the matching process. Several biometric traits have been used to ascertain human gender. Among them, the human palmprint possesses several discriminating features such as principal-lines, wrinkles, ridges, and minutiae features and that offer cues for gender identification. The goal of this work is to develop novel deep-learning techniques to determine gender from palmprint images. PolyU and CASIA palmprint databases with 90,000 and 5502 images respectively were used for training and testing purposes in this research. After ROI extraction and …

Is The Ketogenic Diet Effective For Treatment In Controlling Seizures In Children With Epilepsy?, Chloe A. Lavell

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not the ketogenic diet is an effective treatment in controlling seizures in children with epilepsy.

Study Design: Review of three randomized control trials (RCTs) published in the year 2016.

Data Sources: Three RCTs were selected using Medline, PubMed, and Academic Search Premier. Studies were selected that reviewed the ketogenic diet (KD) in controlling seizures in children with epilepsy. All articles were chosen according to date of publication, relevance of topic, effect on quality of life, and patient-oriented evidence that matters (POEM).

Outcomes Measured: Seizure diaries and various …

The Gender Wage Gap In Research Libraries, Heather A. Howard, Meara Habashi, Jason B. Reed

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

The gender wage gap impacts millions of women throughout the US and world, with women in the US making on average 82% of men’s salaries (US Census Bureau, 2018). In research libraries, a field dominated by women, this has historically been true as well, with men rising to top positions at a higher rate and making more money than women in the same positions. Over the decades following the implementation of Affirmative Action, the number of women in administrative positions in research libraries has increased dramatically. This article explores the issue of women’s salaries in research libraries in five job …