Digital Commons Network^™

Maritime Cybersecurity Strategies For Information Technology Specialists, Angela Mizelle Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dependence on digital technology increases cyber-related risks for maritime industries. As a result, the U.S. Coast Guard network is challenged with maritime cybersecurity, both economically and for national security. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies information technology (IT) specialists use to implement standard practices for ensuring cyber security. The participants included six IT specialists who have successfully implemented standard practices for maritime organizations in Virginia and West Virginia. Data were collected from individual semistructured interviews and a review of 12 external organizational documents available to the public from IT …

African American Entrepreneurial Business- Sustaining Strategies, Charles C. Johnson, Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 80% of small consulting businesses fail within the first five years of operation. Small consulting company owners are concerned with failing within the first five years because community economic development can be adversely impacted. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies African American consulting company owners use for longevity beyond five years. The participants comprised African American owners of three consulting businesses located in the northeast region of the United States, who successfully sustained their business beyond five years. Data collection included semistructured interviews with consulting company …

The Importance Of Understanding Functionality In Home- And Community-Based Care And The Impact On Costs As America Ages, Shannon Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States is on a trajectory to reach 20% of citizens aged 65 and over by 2030. This hyper-aging population affects the costs of healthcare, but it is not adequately represented in current U.S. models. Studies indicate other hyper-aged nations have experienced this increase and implemented long-term care measures to counter the increase in aging populations and costs with system responsiveness. This study examined the role of Medicaid home -and community- based service (HCBS) contributions in states that have the fastest-aging populations. Using the established framework and data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the study looked …

Relationship Between Project Manager’S Gender, Years Of Experience, And Age And Project Success, Michael Hijazi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) leaders lose billions of dollars and experience implementation delays because of failed projects. IT leaders must assign the right IT project manager to prevent project failure. Grounded in the critical success factor theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between project managers’ gender (PMG), project managers’ years of experience (PMY), project managers’ age (PMA), and project success (PS) in the IT industry. Data were collected from 105 project managers in the U.S. IT sector using an online survey distribution platform. The results of the multiple regression analysis were not statistically significant. …

The Thoughts And Feelings Of African Americans Toward The Use Of The Word Nigger By African Americans And By Caucasians, Sylvester Earl Baker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe word nigger has a troublesome history in America for many African Americans. It represents a strong connection to centuries of slavery, the Jim Crow era, discrimination, racism, and oppression. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the specific thoughts and feelings of African Americans toward the use of the word nigger by African Americans and by Caucasians. Although credible research in the area of racial images and racial slurs has been conducted, research has yet to specifically explore the thoughts and feelings African Americans have about the use of the word nigger by African Americans and Caucasians. …

Psychosocial Factors And Physical Health In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients, Olulana Bamiro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem identified was poor physical health in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The problem is important because poor physical health yields unsuccessful aging. The current research aimed to identify psychosocial factors that improve self-evaluated physical health in the study population as a proxy to overall health; the research questions helped identify these factors. The first research question assessed the association between health locus of control and self-evaluated physical health. The second research question evaluated the association between family support and self-evaluated physical health. A final research question assessed the association between health locus of control, …

Perceptions Of Using Complementary Alternative Medicine During Pregnancy For Nausea And Vomiting, Debra L. Blackett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nausea Vomiting during Pregnancy (NVP) conditions have commonly occurred among pregnant women during gestation for more than 4,000 years. The purpose of the multicase qualitative design was to examine and improve the understanding of perceptions of pregnant women experiencing nausea and the potential use of Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) modalities to treat NVP symptoms. In this study, the Health Belief Model six core constructs provided the foundation for the theoretical framework for the process, explaining how working pregnant women experience decision-making and relate to the daily challenges associated with pregnancy. The research questions examined experience of coping with NVP and …

Role Of Case Management In Access To Mental Health Care Among African Americans With Medicaid, Kira-Jai Jayne Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparity in access to appropriate mental health care among African Americans compared to non-Hispanic Whites is growing. The purpose of this quantitative retrospective study was to examine the relationship between access to an outpatient mental health facility with case management and access to outpatient mental health services among African Americans with Medicaid compared to non-Hispanic Whites with Medicaid. The theoretical framework was based on the conceptual framework for integration created by PATH. The study addressed whether there is a difference in the number of African Americans compared to non-Hispanic White patients with Medicaid in access to an outpatient mental health …

Gender Differences In Social Presence In Gender-Segregated And Blended Learning Environments In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Eid Alotaibi

Theses and Dissertations

The present study aimed to achieve one of the goals of the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, which is the improvement of the quality of teaching approaches and learning outcomes. Additionally, the vision strives for equality among students in all educational institutions, including equality among men and women, who are mostly segregated in all aspects of life (e.g., education). One of the major issues in the online portion of blended learning environments is the lack of social presence. Therefore, the present study used a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design to investigate the influence of gender on the perception of social presence levels …

The Production Of Bio-Based Chemicals And Materials From Renewable Sources, Ian Foerster

Theses and Dissertations

Widespread concern with the impacts of global emissions and climate change plays an active role in driving global renewable markets, developing scientific research communities, and setting environmental pollution regulations. Efforts to confront this rise in global emissions are primarily focused on the reduction and replacement of non-renewable fuels and materials. It has become increasingly apparent that reducing global greenhouse gas emissions will require more than just the replacement of fossil fuels, but the development of technologies to convert a diverse set of renewable feedstocks into fuels, chemicals, and materials.The goal of the work documented herein, was to expand the breadth …

Impacts Of Vertical Grid Resolution On The Representation Of A Convective Environment, Caitlyn Mensch

Theses and Dissertations

In a pre-convective environment, modeled atmospheric conditions can be presented as discrete parameters, which serve as valuable resources both in forecasting potential severe weather events and also in assessing changes in convective potential over time. However, the value of these parameters may depend on the vertical resolution of the simulation that is used to do the calculation. Upper-air radiosonde sounding data from various research campaigns (e.g., PECAN, DC3, TRMM-LBA, etc.) in both midlatitude and tropical convective regimes are analyzed and later interpolated to the pressure levels in a range of atmospheric reanalysis and operational models. Indices such as CAPE, CIN, …

"The Last Major Front": Special Education's Transition To Adulthood And North Dakota, Matthew David Mccleary

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis examines the development and implementation of special education’s transition policy in the United States and North Dakota from the 1980s to the 1990s. Researchers have primarily sought to further evidence-based practices in preparing adolescents with disabilities for adulthood, but the history of this effort has rarely been discussed. In the late 20th century, policymakers, researchers, and educators attempted to turn around negative socio-economic outcomes for people with disabilities by helping youth with disabilities and their families plan for the future and get connected to post-school services and employment. Assumptions about people with disabilities influenced transition programming and the …

Using Machine Learning On Diverse Datasets To Predict Drug-Induced Liver Injury, Temidayo Adeluwa

Theses and Dissertations

A major challenge in drug development is safety and toxicity concerns due to drug sideeffects. One such side effect, drug-induced liver injury (DILI), is considered a primary factor in regulatory clearance. To develop prediction models of DILI, the Critical Assessment of Massive Data Analysis (CAMDA) 2020 CMap Drug Safety Challenge goal was established with an ultimate goal to develop prediction models based on gene perturbation of six preselected cell-lines (CMap L1000), extended structural information (MOLD2), toxicity data (TOX21), and FDA reporting of adverse events (FAERS). Four types of DILI classes were targeted, including two clinically relevant scores and two control …

Teacher Demoralization, Mental Health, And The Moderating Effect Of Shame Resilience, Chelsie Terez Hultz

Theses and Dissertations

The first purpose of this study was to extend the literature on teacher demoralization (Santoro, 2011) by providing the second attempt to measure the phenomenon done by Carlson-Jaquez (2016). Exploratory factor analysis was used to analyze construct validity of an original self-report instrument for the assessment of teacher demoralization analyzed as three sub-scale constructs: shame, lack of autonomy, and uncertainty. Data was collected from a population of K-12 educators in one mid-western public-school district. Participants completed a self-assessment survey shared via email and rated their level of agreement on twenty-one questions. Five demographic questions began the survey’s 26 questions. Data …

Endolysosome Involvement In The Protective Effects Of 17Ơ-Estradiol Against Hiv-1 Protein-Induced Neuronal Injury, Nicole Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Although combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) effectively suppresses HIV-1 infection and increases the lifespan of people living with HIV, up to 50% of HIVinfected individuals are experiencing HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), with clinical symptoms ranging from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia, for which no effective treatment is currently available. Synaptodendritic impairments, such as decreased dendritic spines and synaptic loss, that occur in various brain regions including the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus are key pathological features of HAND that correlates closely with neurocognitive impairments. The development of synaptodendritic impairment in HAND in the post-cART era is complicated and not fully understood; …

Bubonic Plague: Public Health Warnings From An Ancient Disease, Mikenzie E. Chessman

2022 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

Genetic Variation Within A Species Of Parasitic Nematode, Skrjabingylus Chitwoodorum, In Skunks, Allie N. Denham, Malorri R. Hughes, Robert C. Dowler, Nicholas J. Negovetich, Loren K. Ammerman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Carnivores in the families Mustelidae and Mephitidae are essential hosts for the cranial roundworm genus Skrjabingylus. A high prevalence of Skrjabingylus chitwoodorum has been observed in the striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis. Genetic barcoding studies of other nematodes have successfully used the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial gene to analyze genetic variation and divergence. We tested the hypothesis that low population structuring occurs within S. chitwoodorum because M. mephitis is widespread across much of North America and has high levels of gene flow. We extracted DNA from 38 samples of Skrjabingylus removed from the sinuses of M. mephitis and one from …

“I See What Is Right And Approve, But I Do What Is Wrong”: Psychopathy And Punishment In The Context Of Racial Bias In The Age Of Neuroimaging, Alison Lynch, Michael L. Perlin

Articles & Chapters

Criminology research has devoted significant attention to individuals diagnosed either with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) or psychopathy. While in the past, the two terms were used somewhat interchangeably, researchers today are starting to see that the two terms in fact represent two very different personality types and offending patterns. In this article, we examine this development from a legal perspective, considering what this might mean in terms of punishment for these two personality types based on the different characteristics they display in their actual offenses and their responses to punishment and rehabilitation. Specifically, we will focus on how the use …

Pursuing Gender Equality Through The Courts: The Role Of South Africa’S Women Judges, Penelope Andrews

Articles & Chapters

This chapter will focus on the contribution of female judges to the transformation of the judiciary in South Africa and specifically the pursuit of gender equality. It is a limited project that will explore the impacts of women judges on constitutional jurisprudence and how the influence of women judges has interacted with the broader transformation of the judicial and political system in South Africa after apartheid. In examining the impact of women judges on constitutional jurisprudence with respect to gender equality, I explore whether women judges have, in their judgments, conscripted and interpreted the constitution to highlight and guarantee its …

Socio-Economic Factors Associated With The Incidence Of Shiga-Toxin Producing Escherichia Coli (Stec) Enteritis And Cryptosporidiosis In The Republic Of Ireland, 2008–2017, Eiimear Cleary, Martin Boudou, Coilín Oscar Óhaiseadha, Patricia Garvey, Paul Mckeown, Jean O'Dwyer, Paul Hynds

Articles

The Republic of Ireland (ROI) currently reports the highest incidence rates of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) enteritis and cryptosporidiosis in Europe, with the spatial distribution of both infections exhibiting a clear urban/rural divide. To date, no investigation of the role of socio-demographic profile on the incidence of either infection in the ROI has been undertaken. The current study employed bivariate analyses and Random Forest classification to identify associations between individual components of a national deprivation index and spatially aggregated cases of STEC enteritis and cryptosporidiosis. Classification accuracies ranged from 78.2% (STEC, urban) to 90.6% (cryptosporidiosis, rural). STEC incidence was …

Enthusiastic But Inconsistent: Graduate Teaching Assistants’ Perceptions Of Their Role In The Cure Classroom, Erin Shortlidge, Jessica R, Cary, Emma C. Goodwin

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite growing evidence of positive student outcomes from course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), little consideration has been given to employing graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) as CURE instructors. GTAs may be novice researchers and/or teachers and likely vary in their interest in teaching a CURE. Guided by expectancy-value theory, we explored how GTAs’ self-efficacy and values regarding teaching a CURE impact motivation and perceptions of their roles as CURE instructors. Using a multiple case study design, we interviewed nine GTAs who taught a network CURE at one research institution. Though most GTAs held a relatively high value for teaching a CURE …

Documenting Macrophytes And Thier Habitat Preferences In Southeastern South Dakota, Jessica Kading, Lan Xu

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

One of the most pressing environmental problems that waterbodies currently face is eutrophication. When eutrophication occurs in lakes, phytoplankton dominance increases and macrophyte (aquatic plant) populations decrease. Macrophyte population fluctuation can be used to detect eutrophication and indicate lake health. Despite this novel use of macrophytes, the state of South Dakota has few, if any, baseline public records of its macrophyte species. In an effort to establish a record and work towards the use of macrophytes as potential eutrophication indicators in South Dakota, this study seeks to provide a better understanding of the macrophytes that occur in the southeastern portion …

Developing A Music Composition Practice: Exploring The Choreography Of Cymatics, Joshua Jervis

Theses : Honours

Cymatics is an area of physics popularised by Hans Jenny that observes the influence of sound but more simply vibration on physical matter. When sound is directly applied to a substance, for example, water, the vibrations create kaleidoscopic movement within the medium. Specific variables primarily of pitch, container size, and water volume contribute to creating a variety of geometric shapes. Without sound cymatics does not exist and is, therefore, a visual characteristic of sound itself.

With an investigation into the behaviour and application of cymatics, this research uses the findings of an investigation to develop a ‘choreographical’ language that can …

A Genetic Investigation Of Anticoagulant Rodenticide Resistance In Mus Musculus Of Western Australia: Implications For Conservation And Biosecurity, Bridget Judith Maria Lucrezia Duncan

Theses : Honours

Human-wildlife interactions have developed since the agricultural revolution that occurred 10,000 years ago, and the expansion of commensal species’ geographical distribution led to conflicts that prompted humans to adopt a wide range of control methods for pest species (Horvitz, Wang, Wan, & Nathan, 2017; Riyahi et al., 2013; Saraswat, Sinha, & Radhakrishna, 2015). The order Rodentia is characterised by a high number of successful invaders, which humans have attempted to manage with the use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) since the 1940s (Capizzi, Bertolino, & Mortelliti, 2014; Ruiz-Suárez et al., 2014). The rise and spread of a genetic mutation that infers …

Artificial Neural Networks Advantages And Disadvantages, Maad M. Mijwel

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are the modelling of the human brain with the simplest definition, and the building blocks are neurons. There are about 100 billion neurons in the human brain. Each neuron has a connection point between 1,000 and 100,000. In the human brain, information is stored in such a way as to be distributed, and we can extract more than one piece of this information from our memory in parallel when necessary. We are not mistaken when we say that a human brain is made up of thousands of very, very powerful parallel processors. In multi-layer artificial neural …

Enlightening Ways To Relax Airway Smooth Muscle: Opsins., Vera P. Krymskaya, Raymond B. Penn

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Comparing Melatonin Use To Bright Light Therapy In Mitigating Cardiovascular Effects Due To Shift Work Disorder In Shift Working Adults, Alexandra Hirt

Capstone Showcase

Introduction: Circadian Misalignment is a term used to describe a mismatch in one’s physiologically determined sleep patters and their actual sleep wake behaviors. Shift workers often end up in a vicious cycle of being in a state of chronic circadian misalignment, which then can lead to health problems, extreme fatigue, and insomnia, known as Shift Work Disorder (SWD).This has been studied in night shift workers who, when compared to daytime workers, have an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease.These results are not dependent on any behavioral risk factors, such as smoking and poor …

Primary Aortic Valve Replacement In Adults From Age 45 To 65 And How Their Survivability, Post Replacement, May Be Affected By Opting For A Bioprosthetic Or Mechanical Valve., Chandler Hutchinson

Capstone Showcase

Abstract:

Introduction: Aortic valve replacement in middle-aged adults is a procedure done when the aortic valve becomes so incompetent, that replacement is the only viable option for the patient. A bioprosthetic or a mechanical valve is then chosen and replaces the patients’ native aortic valve. For these adults, this procedure is life-extending and the only option for prolonged survival. This paper will address whether a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve would be the better option for prolonging a middle-aged patients’ life.

Methods: A literature search was completed in November of 2019 using PubMed and Google Scholar. Seven articles were chosen based …

Carotid Endarterectomy Versus Carotid Stenting In The Prevention Of Stroke In Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease, Alison N. Stover

Capstone Showcase

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and second most common cause of death worldwide. Ischemic stroke accounts for 80% of all strokes, and are the result of the blood supply to the brain being interrupted abruptly. Atheroembolism, or a cholesterol embolism, is a major contributor to ischemic strokes. Due to this fact, treatment of carotid artery stenosis has been aimed at preventing atheroembolization by controlling plaque buildup in arteries before they have the chance to break off and cause harm. In an attempt to prevent future stroke (O) in adult patients with asymptomatic carotid artery disease (P), will performing …

The Manifestation Of Inner-Gender Oppression In Margaret Atwood’S The Handmaid’S Tale As Results From Intentional Patriarchal Power Structures, Aliyah Browning

Capstone Showcase

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has long been studied for its cautionary warnings about sexist ideologies that exist between men and women; seldom has it been so closely analyzed for instances of inner gender oppression. Inner-gender oppression, which this thesis seeks to define and highlight through the novel’s context, offers artificial forms of power to those in oppressed classes, enough to attract women themselves to participate in the indoctrination and policing of their own sex. This essay highlights the ways in which Atwood’s dystopian society parallels sexist beliefs held by societies past and present.