Digital Commons Network^™

Executive Coaches’ Perspectives On Leadership Role Identity Construction In Aspiring Female Leaders, Candice St. Pierre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current efforts to develop and promote women to senior-level positions in organizations remain insufficient. Many leadership development programs are not designed to help women develop a sense of leader identity and self-efficacy. Executive coaching is a process to develop leaders that is customizable for individuals to address their specific needs and goals. A phenomenological study was conducted to gain insight into the lived experiences of executive coaches to discern their strategies and practices for working with women who aspire to attain senior leadership roles. Ten executive coaches working with aspiring women leaders as part of a Network of Executive Women …

Reliable Data Collection: A Tool For Data Integrity In Nigeria, Stella Tonye Whyte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unreliable and poor-quality data is a significant threat to governmental institutions because of its devastating impact on nations' social and economic well-being. Managers in government organizations require reliable data to inform economic planning and decision-making. Grounded in the theory of total quality management, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies information technology (IT) managers in sub-Saharan African countries use to ensure the reliability of data. The participants were 12 IT managers in three government establishments in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, responsible for ensuring the data reliability for economic planning and decision-making. The data collection …

Social Ecological Factors Affecting Marijuana Use Among Young Adults In The United States, Temple Oritsegbubemi Jagha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCurrent knowledge of young adults’ marijuana use centers around individual risk factors and negative health effects (i.e., mental disorder), with less focus on contextual circumstances. In this study, I examined the association between demographic (i.e., gender, race, education, employment, income, and population density), social (i.e., risk perception and religious beliefs influence), living context (i.e., difficulty getting marijuana, poverty level, and county metro status), and marijuana use among young adults. The social-ecological model guided this study. In this quantitative cross-sectional study, data from the 2019 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health that included 14,226 young adults aged 18 to …

A Behavioral Healthcare Approach To At-Risk Youth Substance Prevention Program Development, Debra Mcintyre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Providing quality services that meet the needs of clients is key to organizational sustainability for behavioral health organizations. Strategic development of substance prevention programs for at-risk youth will play an important role in capacity building. The focus of this study was to identify the need for developing a targeted and effective substance abuse prevention program to support at-risk youth who have trauma experiences before they begin misusing substances to cope with their challenges. The Baldrige excellence framework was used to guide this descriptive case study of a behavioral health organization in the Northeastern region of the United States. The data …

Succession Planning Strategies In Family Businesses, Vivian Akosua Dwumor Amanquah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only one-third of family businesses remain operational into the second generation and approximately one-eighth into the third generation. Succession planning is critical to family-owned businesses, as most businesses will collapse moving to the fourth generation and beyond. Grounded in the family systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies family business leaders use to implement a succession plan. The participants included six senior executives from three family businesses in Ghana who implemented successful strategies for succession planning. The data sources were semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents, including statutes; articles of incorporation, …

Association Between Asymptomatic Malaria Infection And Pregnancy Outcome In Delta State, Nigeria, Sadiatu Sally Obi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pregnant women are vulnerable due to the pregnancy-induced suppressed immunity in malaria-endemic areas. Asymptomatic malaria in pregnancy (MiP) threatens both the mother, fetus, and neonate via chronic placental malaria which impacts maternal-neonatal exchange. Some studies reported that MiP risk factors vary across locations, however, there are few studies on MiP and pregnancy outcome in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between asymptomatic placental malaria infection and pregnancy outcome among parturients in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. This study was developed with a quantitative methodology that utilized primary and secondary healthcare data from 483 subjects aged 18–49 …

Parental Stress And Coping In U.S. And Caribbean Immigrant Parents Of Adolescents, Simone A. Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The immigrant population in the U.S. is growing, and the way immigrants cope with the stress of parenting may differ from parents in their host country. There is a gap in the literature regarding knowledge about how Caribbean parents cope with parenting stress compared to U.S. parents. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to predict coping strategies used by Caribbean immigrant and U.S.-born parents of adolescents living in the U.S based on country of origin using transactional stress and coping theory as frameworks. Thirty-seven U.S.-born and 37 Caribbean-born caregivers living in the U.S. were recruited from social media …

An Educational Program For Nurses To Improve Culturally-Appropriate Mental Health Assessment For Nigerian Immigrant Youth In Central Florida, Blessing Anyaiwe Onyekachi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNigerians, like other immigrants, face many health issues with rising waves of conflict and political instability that contribute to high migration rates. As a result, when they arrive in other countries, these immigrants not only have to deal with the trauma they left behind but face issues such as cultural stereotypes, stigma, lack of insurance, cultural and language barriers, poor communication, social discrimination, and low socioeconomic status. The question that this project addressed was whether an educational program for nurses would improve knowledge on culturally-appropriate mental health assessment for Nigerian immigrant youth in Central Florida. This was a nursing staff …

Teaching Guidelines For Screening Prostate Cancer In African American Men, Joain Sophie Silvera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American (AA) men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer (PCa) compared to their White and Hispanic counterparts and a higher mortality rate than any other ethnicity. While biological and socioeconomic factors are to be blamed, many AA men are not aware of the opportunities for screening or the prognoses for the condition. There is an obvious need for increased awareness in AA men concerning preventative screening for PCa. Following the Walden University Clinical Practice Guideline Manual and guided by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE II) model to guide and validate the newly developed clinical …

Relationship Between Cultural And Religious Practices And Ebola Virus In Freetown, Sierra Leone, Richmond Samuel Kpange

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in the West Coast of Africa was a historically unprecedented epidemic with a sustained spread in multiple West African nations, including Sierra Leone. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified Sierra Leone as a high Ebola-affected country as it reported the highest number of deaths (14,124) during the last Ebola outbreak compared to other Ebola-affected countries. Public health experts have given little attention to the impact of sociocultural factors on infectious diseases, especially Ebola. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there is a relationship between the spread of EVD and a patient’s gender, …

Impact Of Electricity On Industrial Output In Nigeria: A Systems Perspective, Chidi Vincent Ike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of access to electricity, both in quantity and quality, has been a recurring problem in Nigeria. Scholars have investigated the relationship between electricity consumption and economic development with diverse outcomes, but they have not considered the subsystems that constitute the electricity delivery system. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between monthly industrial output in Nigeria and available monthly power generation capacity, available monthly power transmission capacity, and monthly power distribution capability. Systems theory was the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected on the monthly industrial output and operational data on electric …

Complexity Thinking And Broadband Internet Penetration In Lagos, Nigeria, James Hyacinth Akpoja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Considering the speed at which information and knowledge can transverse nations and organizations, the importance of broadband Internet connectivity cannot be overstated. The general problem is that the Nigerian broadband Internet penetration is considerably low, at 33% compared to other parts of the world. The specific problem is that community members and leaders have the behavioral intention to allow broadband Internet infrastructure deployment (BIID) at the local community level in Lagos. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between perceived usefulness (PU), perceived benefits (PB), perceived ease of use (PEoU), and perceive security (PS), and …

Social Support Experiences Of Stably Housed Emancipated Foster Youth, Camron L. Whitacre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth emancipating from foster care are at increased risk of housing instability and homelessness and have reduced access to needed social supports to aid in the difficult transition to independent living. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived formal social support experiences of stably housed emancipated foster youth. Purposive sampling techniques and inclusion criteria guided the recruitment of nine study participants from a state-administered postemancipation services program to take part in semistructured interviews. A conceptual framework, including social convoy and attachment theories, informed inquiry, and interpretation of findings. Participant lived experiences illuminated the importance of …

Effects Of Intervention And Prevention Programs On Youth Risk-Taking Behavior In Monroe County, Audrey D. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Crime committed by adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 is a recurring issue in the United States. Research showed a number of contributing factors associated with youth risk-taking behaviors and juvenile delinquency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to improve the understanding of the relationship between intervention and prevention programs and curbing risk-taking and delinquency among adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 in Monroe County, New York. This study addressed the connection between modern theories of deviance and programs of juvenile delinquency intervention as conceptualized by Chapman as the theoretical framework. Using intrinsic case …

Relationship Between Cultural And Religious Practices And Ebola Virus In Freetown, Sierra Leone, Richmond Samuel Kpange

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in the West Coast of Africa was a historically unprecedented epidemic with a sustained spread in multiple West African nations, including Sierra Leone. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified Sierra Leone as a high Ebola-affected country as it reported the highest number of deaths (14,124) during the last Ebola outbreak compared to other Ebola-affected countries. Public health experts have given little attention to the impact of sociocultural factors on infectious diseases, especially Ebola. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there is a relationship between the spread of EVD and a patient’s gender, …

Living In An Oil-Polluted Region In Nigeria As A Risk Factor In Colorectal Cancer Development, Steve Nwachi Onya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to differences in exposure to various risk factors, colorectal cancer (CRC) rates differ in regions of Nigeria. Although the people living in the Southsouth, an oil-producing region, are concerned that they are most affected, there is insufficient research to address these concerns. The purpose of this quantitative ecological study was to investigate whether living in the oil-polluted region in Nigeria is associated with an excess CRC incidence rate. The potential spatial autocorrelation of CRC incidence among the contiguous regions was also examined. The study was grounded in the ecosocial theoretical framework. Data were extracted from the Nigeria National System …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Vaccine Development Using Dual-Species Whole Cell And Subunit Vaccines, Catherine Bell Blackwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen which can cause severe, recurrent, and chronic infections. The pathogen is highly adaptable, and pneumonia caused by it is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in individuals with the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis. Antibiotic resistance amongst clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa is steadily increasing, and multi-drug resistant strains are prevalent. There is currently no vaccine available for commercial use against P. aeruginosa. For these reasons, we sought to understand the immunity to P. aeruginosa induced by whole cell vaccination and identify antigens for development of future subunit vaccines. In this dissertation, …

Health Disparities By Sexual Orientation Components In The United States, Julia Kay Wolf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fundamental cause theory encourages researchers to consider broad social conditions that put people at risk of individual-level health-related risks that can lead to health disparities between social groups. Stigma has recently been proposed as a fundamental cause of health disparities as it influences multiple disease outcomes, affects access to resources, and is consistently related to health inequities across historical and geographical contexts. Minority stress theory describes how sexual minorities endure excess stressors in the form of prejudice and discrimination due to their stigmatized status. Considering both frameworks, I explore how stigmatized sexual orientation minority respondents compare to their sexual majority …

Enabling Technologies For Medicinal Chemistry And Synthesis: I. Cannabinoids; Ii. Illudalic Acid; Iii. Microwave Chemistry, Harvey Fulo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Innovations in synthetic organic chemistry such as methodology improvements, new chemical transformations and technology development significantly impact medicinal chemistry and continue to drive the drug discovery process. Here, new cyclization strategies to the pharmaceutically underexplored 3,3-dimethylcyclopentane-fused aromatic rings are described. One approach highlighted oxidative cycloisomerization, intermolecular [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization and 5-exo-dig cyclization providing indanoylindole cannabinoids that possess high affinity for human CB₂ receptors at nanomolar concentration and good selectivity index. Another featured a [4+2]-type benzannulation reaction which enabled the 5-step synthesis of illudalic acid — compared to the current available sequences (≥16 steps) — and its equipotent and LAR-selective analogs. …

Active Shooter Preparedness Among Dental Hygiene Students, Brenda T. Bradshaw, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Tara L. Newcomb, Ann M. Bruhn

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Active shooter incidents (ASIs) occurring in dental hygiene academic settings present unique challenges and research examining institutional preparation of dental hygiene students for such incidents is lacking. The purpose of this pilot project was to examine the perceived preparedness, confidence, and awareness of dental hygiene students regarding ASIs.

Methods: A validated 24-item electronic survey was distributed to dental hygiene students (n=68) at one institution to measure their preparedness, confidence, and awareness regarding ASIs. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were used for data analysis.

Results: Fifty-seven dental hygiene students completed the survey for a response rate of 84%. Many participants …

Shear Stress Associated With Cardiopulmonary Bypass Induces Expression Of Inflammatory Cytokines And Necroptosis In Monocytes, Lan N. Tu, Lance Hsieh, Masaki Kajimoto, Kevin Charette, Nataliya Kibiryeva, Adriana Forero, Sarah Hampson, Jennifer A. Marshall, James O'Brien, Marta Scatena, Michael A. Portman, Ram Savan, Chris Benner, Alberto Aliseda, Muhammad Nuri, Douglas Bittel, Peter Pastuszko, Vishal Nigam

Faculty and Staff Publications

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is required during most cardiac surgeries. CBP drives systemic inflammation and multiorgan dysfunction that is especially severe in neonatal patients. Limited understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying CPB-associated inflammation presents a significant barrier to improve clinical outcomes. To better understand these clinical issues, we performed mRNA sequencing on total circulating leukocytes from neonatal patients undergoing CPB. Our data identify myeloid cells, particularly monocytes, as the major cell type driving transcriptional responses to CPB. Furthermore, IL-8 and TNF-α were inflammatory cytokines robustly upregulated in leukocytes from both patients and piglets exposed to CPB. To delineate the molecular mechanism, we …

Mitochondrial Mrna Processing In The Chlorophyte Alga Pediastrum Duplex And Streptophyte Alga Chara Vulgaris Reveals An Evolutionary Branch In Mitochondrial Mrna Processing, Grayson C.R. Proulex, Marcus J. Meade, Kalina M. Manoylov, A. Bruce Cahoon

Faculty and Staff Works

Mitochondria carry the remnant of an ancestral bacterial chromosome and express those genes with a system separate and distinct from the nucleus. Mitochondrial genes are transcribed as poly-cistronic primary transcripts which are post-transcriptionally processed to create individual translationally competent mRNAs. Algae post-transcriptional processing has only been explored in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Class: Chlorophyceae) and the mature mRNAs are different than higher plants, having no 5′ UnTranslated Regions (UTRs), much shorter and more variable 3′ UTRs and polycytidylated mature mRNAs. In this study, we analyzed transcript termini using circular RT-PCR and PacBio Iso-Seq to survey the 3′ and 5′ UTRs and termini …

Highest Composition Dissimilarity Among Phytoplankton Communities At Intermediate Environmental Distances Across High-Altitude Tropical Lakes, Alonso Cartuche, Kalina M. Manoylov, Bastiaan W. Ibelings, Patrick Venail

Faculty and Staff Works

Tropical high-altitude lakes are vital freshwater ecosystems for the functioning and dynamics of tropical high-altitude wetlands called páramos, found at over 3300 m above sea level. They play a major role in the hydrogeological cycle and provide important hydrological services such as water storage, and yet they are understudied. Describing the patterns and processes of community composition in these lakes is required to better understand the consequences of their degradation by human activities. In this study we tested the geographical and environmental components of distance–decay relationships in the phytoplankton structure across 24 tropical high-altitude lakes from Southern Ecuador. Phytoplankton composition …

Two New Species Of Bimastos (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) From The Southern Appalachian Mountains, North America, Roberto Carrera-Martínez, Daniel Jones, Sean D. Schoville, Bruce A. Snyder, Mac A. Callaham

Faculty and Staff Works

Two new species of Bimastos Moore are described based on morphological and molecular data. Bimastos nanae n. sp. resembles B. lawrenceae Fender, B. zeteki (Smith and Gittins) and B. welchi (Smith). Bimastos nanae n. sp. differs from these species in the position of the clitellum, size and number and position of thickened septa. Bimastos magnum n. sp. is similar to B. schwerti Csuzdi & Chang and B. palustris Moore in having a fully annular clitellum and male pores on huge porophores. Bimastos magnum n. sp. differs from both species by having a more posterior position of the clitellum (in xxiv-xxxiii, …

Tribally Defined Citizenship Criteria: Countering Whiteness As Property Interpretations Of “Indian” For Restoring Inherent Sovereignty, Lori Bable

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

This article implements the framework of whiteness of property to articulate the ways in which holdings of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) have limited Tribal Nations’ sovereignty because of the illegibility and correlative dispossession of inherent sovereignty itself. This article also highlights how these past SCOTUS opinions, especially recently, threaten to further reduce tribal sovereignty insofar as Tribal Nation citizenship remains based upon blood quantum. The case studies examined herein were selected because of the ways they strategically diminished Tribal Nation sovereignty via rhetorical precarity created using equivocations on the meaning of “Indian.” Through articulating how SCOTUS …

The Effect Of Diet On The Variation Of Blood And Urine Heavy Metal Biomarkers Among National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) Subjects: A Secondary Data Analysis, Devineé Lingo, Alyssa Perri

Loma Linda University Research Reports

Background: Heavy metals are non-essential elements that provide no biological benefit to the human body. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are toxic to humans even in trace amounts. Humans are exposed to various heavy metals through ingestion of contaminated food and water supplies. Heavy metals can accumulate in body organs and displace essential minerals leading to detrimental health effects such as neurological, endocrine, and immune dysfunction, that can result in long-term damage.

Objective: The purpose of this graduate student research study was to examine the effect of diet on the variation of blood and urine lead, …

The Effectiveness Of A Preoperative Lifestyle-Based Weight Loss Program On Postoperative Outcomes In Bariatric Patients: A Secondary Data Analysis, Jasmine Westerdahl, Samantha Peebles

Loma Linda University Research Reports

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial and largely preventable chronic disease. There are many interventional methods that can be used in treating obesity, such as diet and lifestyle interventions. Surgical intervention is also an effective treatment option that is utilized for those that are severely obese. Bariatric surgery helps to achieve weight loss, as well as reduce the risk and/or manage comorbidities. In the U.S., many insurance companies and certain bariatric centers require patients to lose weight prior to surgery. The explanation for preoperative weight loss stems from its potential correlation with reduction in surgical complications, improved adherence to stringent …

Redefining Healthcare To Address Racial Health Disparities & Inequities, Abdur Rahman Amin

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

Reforming Sexual Health Education In Minnesota Schools: An Evidence-Based Approach, Antonia Kurtz

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

The Toxic Crusaders: Exploring The History Of The Criminal Enforcement Of The Toxic Substances Control Act, Joshua Ozymy, Melissa L. Jarrell

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

The criminal prosecution of defendants who violated federal laws governing chemical substances has been ongoing for roughly four decades. Yet we continue to have a poor understanding of how federal prosecutors use the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to charge and prosecute environmental criminals. Through content analysis of all the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) criminal prosecution case summaries from 1983 to 2019, we analyze all TSCA-focused prosecutions for two purposes. First, to gain a better historical understanding of how federal prosecutors have used TSCA as a prosecutorial tool. Second, to understand outcomes of those prosecutions. Results show that 38% …