Digital Commons Network^™

Math And The Mouse: Explorations Of Mathematics And Science In Walt Disney World, Elizabeth L. Bouzarth, John M. Harris, Kevin R. Hutson

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Math and the Mouse is an intensive, collaborative, project-driven, study away course that runs during the three-week May Experience term at Furman University and has many of the attributes of a course-based undergraduate research experience in mathematics. We take twelve students to Orlando, Florida to study the behind-the-scenes mathematics employed to make Walt Disney World operate efficiently. Students learn techniques of mathematical modeling (mostly resource allocation, logistics, and scheduling models), statistical analysis (mostly probability, clustering, data collection, and hypothesis testing), and ow management (queuing theory and some beginning ow dynamics) in an applied setting. Through planned course modules, collaborative activities, …

Coping With Constant Obsolescence: A Lifelong Task, Di Su

Publications and Research

Knowledge and skill obsolescence is a common obstacle in individual, organization, and society development. Thanks to the modern technologies, the rate of obsolescence accelerates rapidly in the information age. In the library workplace, obsolescence occurs constantly. We may be used to routines, but changes are inevitable as we have witnessed the evolution in library services and librarian workplace since the advent of the internet. To cope with obsolescence, it is crucial to have a lifelong learning mindset, make it a habit, and find ways to update our knowledge and skills to stay competent and serve the clientele effectively.

Feasibility Of Project Echo Telementoring To Build Capacity Among Non-Specialist Emergency Care Providers, Grace Wanjiku, Lindsay Dreizler, Gregory Bell, Benjamin Wachira

Emergency Medicine, East Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to global disruptions in emergency medicine (EM) teaching and training and highlighted the need to strengthen virtual learning platforms. This disruption coincides with essential efforts to scale up training of the emergency healthcare workforce, particularly in low-resource settings where the specialty is not well developed. Thus, there is growing interest in strengthening virtual platforms that can be used to support emergency medicine educational initiatives globally. These platforms must be robust, context specific and sustainable in low-resource environments. This report describes the implementation of Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), a telementoring platform originally designed …

Nurturing The Disease - A Glimpse From The Outside Looking In: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of The Nature Of Nurture And Its Role In Chronic Illness, Michelle Leeann Koudsi

Social Work Theses - Archive

This autoethnographic illness narrative explores nature versus nurture’s impact on chronic illness. The author argues that environmental factors play a significant role in the rise of chronic illnesses. My hope is that this study will allow society and healthcare providers to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between illness and trauma as well as the importance of quality, positive patient-provider relationships. This study also demonstrates the importance of establishing a connection within oneself to create self-awareness and emotional healing. Despite this study being one of the most mentally tasking things I have ever willingly chosen to do in my …

Age Differences In Preparing For, Responding To, And Recovering From The Covid-19 Pandemic: The Strengths Of Older Adults, Zhirui Chen

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation consists of three independent articles, investigating the age differences in preparing for the continuation of COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing negative COVID-19 impacts across multiple domains, and psychologically recovering from cumulative disaster exposures during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on the strengths of older adults. Data used were from the longitudinal research project “Vulnerability and Resilience to Disasters” conducted in Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama, USA. Multiple linear regressions from Article 1 (N = 450) showed that compared to those aged 65+, people aged 18-44 perceived a lower level of preparedness for the ongoing COVID-19; and there was no significant …

Exploring Culturally Relevant Responses To Latinx Student Mental Health, Sarah Elizabeth Herrera

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Social workers have an ethical obligation to challenge systemic oppression. Within the context of Latinx college students, there are many systemic barriers that negatively impact their mental health. Previous research focuses on identifying individual characteristics among Latinx students that promote academic success and psychological wellbeing. However, it is important to hold postsecondary education accountable for creating more inclusive environments that welcome the increased enrollment of Latinx students. The following dissertation explores culturally relevant responses to Latinx college student mental health. The first article is a qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis that explores how Latinx-specific programming shapes ethnic identity and psychological wellbeing among …

The Mechanisms Of Peer Support In An Online Support Group For Veterans, Zachary William Tarbet

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

Military veterans experience a transition process when returning to civilian life that involves reintegration across life domains. Reintegration has been shown to be a significant challenge for a contingent of former servicemembers that can be exacerbated by an erosion of social support networks. Difficulty accessing peers due to wider social trends away from community connectedness and geography have inspired the creation of virtual gathering spaces for a wide range of populations. The emerging evidence for peer-driven online support groups suggests the potential for facilitating development of new supportive interpersonal connections and improved access to tangible resources. The current study seeks …

Design, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Conjugated Polymeric Electrochemical Memristors As Neuromorphic/Integrated Circuits, Benjamin Grant

All Dissertations

Organic materials are promising candidates for future electronic devices compared to the complementing inorganic materials due to their ease of processability, use, and disposal, low cost of fabrication, energy efficiency, and flexible nature toward implementation as flexible and non-conformal devices.With that in mind, electrochemical materials have been widely demonstrated with commercial use as sensors, displays, and a variety of other electronic devices. As Moore's law predicts the increase in the density of transistors on a chip, the requirement to create either smaller transistors or the replacement of the transistor device entirely is apparent. Memory resistors, coined ``memristor", are variable resistive …

Open Educational Resources And Institutional Repositories: Roles, Challenges, And Opportunities For Libraries, James Hutson, Susan Edele, Elizabeth Macdonald, Paul Huffman, Nancy Messina, Maggie Pavone, Carla Mueller, Gabriela Romero

Faculty Scholarship

The adoption of digital-born, Open Educational Resources (OER) has been proven to improve student retention and learning outcomes, and OER has the flexibly to support multiple modalities of instruction. Institutional Repositories are uniquely situated to act as a platform to support and distribute content that can be created collaboratively between faculty researchers as well as students. However, faculty are still largely hesitant to adopt OER sources for a variety of reasons, not least among them being a lack of exposure and understanding of the potential benefits for both faculty and students in keeping curriculum affordable, up-to-date, and nimble through media-rich, …

Global Learning: Definition, Assessment, And Approaches, Jiangyuan Zhou

Journal of Global Education and Research

Global learning has become a fundamental aspect of international education. Yet, a clear understanding of global learning and how to develop it remain unclear. Using the dynamic systems approach, this paper analyzed the reasons, methods, and knowledge, skills, and attitudes(KSA) of global learning in higher education. Global learning is the higher education institutions’ critical response to globalization. It is the essential learning outcome of comprehensive internationalization of curriculum requiring students to develop KSA about the external world and their internal selves in their daily lives across local and global communities. With survey results from 142 undergraduate students in one U.S. …

Encountering American Higher Education: First-Year Academic Transition Of International Undergraduate Students In The United States, Masha Krsmanovic

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explored how international undergraduate students perceive their academic transition into American higher education. Schlossberg’s (1984) 4S Transition Theory served as the framework for exploring what academic challenges, if any, international students experience during their first year of undergraduate studies in a new cultural and educational setting. The findings revealed that students’ academic transition into the U.S. higher education was characterized by difficulties in understanding the academic system of their new environment; overcoming educational, instructional and pedagogical differences; building social relationships with domestic students; and receiving the support necessary from the appropriate institutional services.

Immigrant Students And Global Education, Felipe A. Filomeno, Christopher Brown

Journal of Global Education and Research

Research on immigrant students in higher education often articulates a deficit narrative emphasizing the challenges immigrant students face in comparison to their native-born peers. In education for global competence, however, immigrant students’ life experiences give them a potential advantage. This study investigated whether project-based learning designed to take advantage of immigrant students’ intercultural life experiences could contribute to the development of global competence among undergraduate students. Developing and teaching a collaborative, project-based course where undergraduate students researched the intercultural experiences of their immigrant peers, researchers measured specific learning outcomes using quantitative and thematic analysis of student research papers and reflective …

How Does Children’S Literature Portray Global Perspectives?, Bogum Yoon

Journal of Global Education and Research

The need for global education is increasing in this global era, and children’s literature becomes an essential resource to address this need. However, there is little research on how global perspectives are depicted in children’s literature. The current study fills the gap in our understanding by examining contemporary children’s picture books that were published in the United States from 2010 to 2016. Findings show that the picture books reflect several important elements of global education. However, there is an imbalance among the topics and genres. Although global awareness through environmental issues was emphasized through informational texts, transnational story lines on …

Determinants Of E-Learning Acceptance Amongst Iranian Postgraduate Students, Fatima Baji, Fereydoun Azadeh, Zivar Sabaghinejad, Amir Zalpour

Journal of Global Education and Research

E-learning can address some of the unmet needs of learners and educational communities; however, not all learners and educators accept e-learning as a delivery modality. This research endeavored to study the factors which affect e-learning acceptance among Iranian post-graduate students using the Davis Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and to identify the changes which would facilitate their improved acceptance and subsequent wider use of e-learning. This descriptive-correlation study was conducted by surveying 320 Iranian postgraduate students using a self-reporting questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis through LISREL software. Results revealed sufficient validity and reliability of the TAM among …

Refining The Eden Community’S Pathways For Shaping Regenerative Christian Culture In The Apprenticeship For Regenerative Culture, Laura Callarman

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This Doctor of Ministry thesis presents a project designed to meet a need of the Eden Community, an intentional Christian community, regarding the pathways it uses to shape regenerative Christian culture among college students in its apprenticeship program, ARC. In this thesis, I connect the pragmatic aims of the Eden Community to theological foundations regarding the importance of ecclesial diversity and creative contextualization, features that empower the church to embody a variety of life-giving “alternative stories” with the capacity to present the gospel as truly good news to the entire world.

In this project, a team of nine stakeholders met …

An Inclusive Framework For Ministry: Fostering The Spiritual Formation Of Children In A Multicultural Church, Jennifer Reinsch Schroeder

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project thesis was designed to foster the spiritual formation of children in a multicultural church. A diverse team was assembled to design a curriculum to be used with volunteers in a children’s ministry context. Through seven two-hour sessions held over eight weeks in the spring of 2022, the curriculum development team first examined what it means to embody a multicultural perspective of the gospel while at the same time investigating the negative impact of a White, Eurocentric expression of Christianity. Next, they collaborated to develop a theological construct that centered around (1) the idea of being created in the …

The Role Of Muscle Damage On Joint Tissue, Logan Nicholas Moore

Kinesiology Dissertations - Archive

The musculoskeletal system is a highly diverse network of tissue that operates in conjunction to one other, both mechanically and biochemically. In states of disorder such as musculoskeletal disorders, this cross-communication between tissues is pivotal in the progression of disease state in other tissues, or the prevention and healing of the effected tissue. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSkD) are a broad term encompassing disorders to bones, joints, muscles and connective tissues. These disorders include Osteoarthritis, Osteopenia, Sarcopenia, Tendonitis, Myopathies, and muscle weakness. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder, characterized as damage to the articulating cartilage and alterations in other joint …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Evolution Of Coastal Flooding In Texas And Louisiana For Application In Risk Assessment, Joshua Pulcinella

Earth & Environmental Sciences Dissertations - Archive

Coastal communities of the northern Gulf of Mexico have historically been at risk of flooding from tropical cyclone induced storm surge and extreme precipitation. Relative sea level rise resulting from a combination of increasing global mean sea level and regional subsidence presents an escalating threat that requires a comprehensive assessment of changing flood risks for the area. This study examines how coastal flooding events are changing and focuses on the future risks to communities and infrastructure in Texas and Louisiana. Utilizing historic tide gauge observations, tropical cyclone records, and associated storm tide data, the frequency, duration, and magnitude of events …

A Continuously Renewed Copper Electrode For Constant-Potential Amperometry, Andrew T. Franklin

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses - Archive

Pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) is a well-established technique used for the detection of electroactive compounds following Ion Chromatography (IC). Target analytes, such as carbohydrates and amino acids, typically have no suitable chromophores and are not detectable by suppressed conductivity following IC separation. While direct current (DC) amperometry is simpler, the formation of oxidation products quickly fouls the electrode surface; PAD removes these products extending electrode longevity for up to ~2 weeks of operation. To further extend electrode lifespans, a new strategy is introduced herein using DC amperometry on a sacrificial copper wire anode. The wire face continually dissolves under oxidative …

Using Sustainable Web Design Practices: Website Redesign For The Climatemusic Project, Charlotte M. Saunders

Graphic Communication

Sustainable practices go beyond reducing, reusing, and recycling in the physical world. In the digital world, design has a high environmental impact, so the choices designers make can eat up electricity and raise their carbon footprint. Therefore, designing low-carbon sites through UX, imagery, and color, and using a sustainability host is very beneficial for both usability and the environment. The ClimateMusic Project is a non-profit organization that aims to raise climate change awareness through music. This organization seeks to reduce their carbon footprint as well as help raise awareness through their Take Action web page. For my senior project I …

A Retrospective On 2022 Cyber Incidents In The Wind Energy Sector And Building Future Cyber Resilience, Megan Egan

Cyber Operations and Resilience Program Graduate Projects

Between February and June 2022, multiple wind energy sector companies were hit by cyber-attacks impacting their ability to monitor and control wind turbines. With projected growth in the United States of 110.66 GW from 2020 to 2030, wind energy will increasingly be a critical source of electricity for the United States and an increasingly valuable target for cyberattacks. This paper shows the importance of redundant remote communications, secure third-party providers, and improving response and recovery processes that would ensure this growth period fulfills its potential as a unique opportunity to build in cyber resilience from the outset of new installations …

A Multiple Case Study To Understand How Students Experience Science And Engineering Practices, Chris Schaben, Justin Andersson, Christine Cutucache

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), amid recent shifts in science curriculum, call for students to learn science through the practices of scientists and engineers (science and engineering practices, or SEPs). SEPs, related to inquiry learning, are ways students learn science content by doing science. Students have varied experiences learning science and engineering practices, including exposure in the classroom, from media, and in science fairs. Using a qualitative, multiple case study design, we analyzed public school educators’ and middle and high school students’ (ages 12–18) interview transcripts about learning through the science and engineering practices. Findings demonstrate that students learn …

Blue Cross Blue Shield Of North Dakota (Bcbsnd) 2023 Open Enrollment, Stevi Cairns

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), serving residents and businesses in the North Dakota area. BCBSND is an equal opportunity employer where employees and retirees are valued and cared for through provision of superior benefits. The BCBSND 2023 Open Enrollment project focused on the planning and execution of the 2023 Enrollment of Benefit programs (Medical, Vision, Dental, HAS/FSA, WLSA, and 401K) offered by the organization to employees and retirees. BCBSND employees and retirees require clear understanding and guidance about benefit updates and requirements in order to …

It’S Not Arthritis! Resolution Of The Illusion Of Joint Space Narrowing With Acetabuloplasty And Labral Reconstruction For The Calcified Labrum, Jade S Owens, Benjamin R Saks, Kara B Miecznikowski, David R Maldonado, Andrew E Jimenez, Ajay C Lall, Benjamin G Domb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Labral calcification may be part of the natural history of untreated femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) in certain patients, making it a potential target for intervention with the goal of preserving the hip joint. The purpose of this study was to investigate if calcified labra create the appearance of lateral joint space narrowing and report minimum 2-year patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after treating patients with arthroscopic acetabuloplasty and labral reconstruction. Prospectively collected data on patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for FAIS and labral tearing from February 2015 to April 2021 were reviewed. Patients treated with primary labral reconstruction for an …

173rd Commencement, Fall

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Ahs Residential, Llc., Order On Motions For Summary Judgment, Kelly L. Ellerbe

Superior Court of Fulton County: Metro Atlanta Business Case Division Opinions

No abstract provided.

How Is Health Seeking Behavior And Patient Outcomes For Latin Immigrants Affected By Language Barriers, Socioeconomic Status And Health Literacy?, Cassandra Sanchez

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

Language barriers cause a disconnect between patients and health care workers. What further causes a disconnect is when patients have a lower level of education in addition to having a language barrier. I will be focusing on Latin immigrant individuals in the United States for my research. Many Latin immigrant patients may not have gone to school in their native countries, so their education level is lower making it harder to understand discharge information or patient teaching. When patients are unable to have that health literacy it may lead to negative patient outcomes due to not adhering to medication …

Factors Impacting Organ Transplant Outcomes, Katelyn Grubich

Nursing | Senior Theses

Organ transplants are crucial to the survival of those on the receiving end. With medicine advancing, so has transplantation. Health care providers are becoming more aware of the strategies necessary to prolong the transplanted organ and how to obtain better outcomes. Heart, lungs, kidney, liver, pancreas, and some where more than one organ are involved, are the types of organ transplants performed.

Providing patients information will allow them to be a part of their treatment and can help to ease their anxiety knowing what is being performed and what can be expected. Health care providers must ensure that patients and …

Safe Practices For Preventing Covid-19 Among School-Aged Children, Meleena Reyelle Banda-Garcia

Nursing | Senior Theses

Communicable diseases and infections are common health problems among children. Among the most impactful communicable diseases present today is COVID-19, a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2, which has forced many school closures due to rapid transmission. Despite children not being the main driving factor of the spread of the disease, severe complications underlying COVID-19 incidence have resulted in increased hospitalization among school-age children.The initial global response to the spread of COVID-19 included the closure of school systems; however as the disease continues to be effectively managed, communities are starting to re-open schools partially or entirely nationwide. Although pharmaceutical …

Management Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma From Diagnosis In Routine Clinical Practice, Tasneem Lokhandwala, Abdalla Aly, Eileen Farrelly, Joanne P. Willey, Lois E. Lamerato, Marcus Healey, Anna D. Coutinho, Brian S. Seal

Public Health Sciences Articles

AIM: To assess real-world management of patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within an integrated delivery network.

MATERIALS & METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of adults newly diagnosed with HCC from January 2014 to March 2019. Overall survival and treatment journey were assessed over the entire available follow-up period per patient.

RESULTS: Of the 462 patients, 85% had ≥1 treatment. The 24-month overall survival rate (95% CI) from first treatment was 77% (72-82%). Majority of Child-Pugh class A (71%) and B (60%) patients received locoregional therapy first. Half (53.6%) of the patients with liver transplantation first were Child-Pugh class C …