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Strategies For Employees To Effect Change To Improve Performance Of Public Organizations, Ibrahim Nasamu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seventy percent of organizations fail in their organizational change initiatives because of failure to involve employees in the change process. Some managers lack the strategies to implement change initiatives successfully. Using Kotter’s eight-step change model as the conceptual framework, this qualitative single case study was conducted to explore public sector managers’ strategies to include employees in implementing organizational change. Semistructured interviews were used to identify the strategies public sector managers use to include employees in implementing organizational change. Interviews were conducted with eight participants who met the inclusion criteria for this study. Data analysis included methodological triangulation and Yin’s 5 …

Behavioral Responses Of Breeding Ducks To Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Surveys And Best Practices For Breeding Waterfowl Surveys Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Mason Ryckman

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a popular wildlife survey tool. As such, biologists are exploring the use of UAVs for surveying waterfowl. The most cited benefit of using UAVs over traditional methods is the idea of reduced disturbance, but this has had limited formal evaluation across species. We conducted UAV surveys with associated behavioral observations of ducks on wetlands and on nests during the 2019 – 2020 breeding seasons. We found species-specific behaviors among blue-winged teal (Spatula discors), northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), and gadwall (Mareca strepera) including ducks noticing the aircraft, but reactions were generally less than traditional ground …

Effects Of Fractional Gravity On Human Gait, Elizabeth Nicole Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Only twelve humans have stepped on the Moon for a mere 80 hours. Further, noneof that Lunar exposure has been within the last 50 years. NASA’s Artemis Program recently announced that the next manned missions to the Moon will be scheduled for 2024 and 2025. With only a few years to prepare, it is pertinent that training for prospective astronauts reflects current scientific knowledge to ensure safety. In this study, the coordinative gait structures under 1.0g (Earth), as well as simulated 0.38g (Martian) and 0.17g (Lunar), were analyzed to discover critical changes in gait that may occur in these environments. …

Genetic Breed Association And Contraceptive Response Gwas Of The Feral Horses (Equus Caballus) Of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Melissa Amy Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) is home to a herd of feral horses (Equus caballus) which were present on the landscape prior to the establishment of the park and are now maintained as a living history demonstration herd. I used genomic analyses to investigate the TRNP horses’ relatedness to other breeds and the genetic basis for variation in response to a contraceptive vaccine. DNA from 118 horses was genotyped for 70k SNPs spread evenly across the genome. To clarify the relationship of this herd with other horses, I used population genomic analyses to compare the TRNP genotypes to a dataset …

Helping Students From Refugee Backgrounds Succeed In Higher Education Through Support Systems, Arinola Adebayo

Theses and Dissertations

Like every student enrolled in a higher education institution, students from refugee backgrounds are not only concerned about how to get into college, but how to connect with the support systems available to them on campus. The purpose of this research was to examine the social support systems available to college students from refugee backgrounds while on campus, the resources these students engaged in to keep them connected to college, and how they tapped into available resources to be successful in achieving their higher educational career and goals. Using qualitative methods, this research used an intrinsic-embedded, single-case design case study. …

Performance Of The Shortened Liquid Cooling Warming Garment During Simulated Emergency Eva, Sophie Marie Bielawski

Theses and Dissertations

Surface temperatures during extravehicular activity (EVA) in low Earth orbit range from -157°C to 121° C. Although spacesuits shield astronauts from such inhospitable extremes, metabolic heat production due to physical exertion is trapped within the garment, leading to increased internal temperature. Cooling garments are utilized to maintain human thermal equilibrium. NASA’s Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG) has been in use for decades. Koscheyev, Leon, and colleagues developed a physiologically designed Shortened Liquid Cooling Warming Garment (SLCWG) at the University of Minnesota, focused on increasing the efficiency of the garment to support thermal balance. The current study assessed the thermoregulatory …

Factors Associated With New Hospital Nurses' Self-Efficacy In Providing Palliative End-Of-Life Care, Penny Marie Brriese

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Self-efficacy is defined as confidence in one’s competence; the ability to successfully accomplish tasks and achieve favorable outcomes (Bandura, 1997). Many nurses today say they feel their undergraduate education was inadequate for them to feel competent to provide palliative and EOL patient care. (Chiplaskey, 2016; Scherlin & Quinn, 2016; Zheng et al., 2018).). Inadequate EOL preparation also results in nurses experiencing distress, death anxiety, burnout, feeling overwhelmed and leaving practice within just a few years (Friedman et al., 2011; Gaw, 2012; Kovner et al., 2006; Parry, 2008; Silverstein, 2017, November 28; Suzuki et al., 2008; Wilson & Kirshbaum, 2013). …

Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy: From Theory To Practice, Yvonne H. Cannon

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the relationship of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy and functioning to their confidence in their teaching abilities before the student teaching experience. This phenomenological study with a sequential mixed-methods approach seeks to answer the following research question from a sample of pre-service teachers completing the final semester of coursework before student teaching: How do pre-service teachers describe their lived experiences of their relationships between self-perceptions of teaching efficacy and functioning to their confidence in their teaching abilities? Additionally, the study attempts to identify emerging gaps in the transition from coursework to fieldwork to assist Educator Preparation Programs …

Application-Dependent Wavelength Selection For Hyperspectral Imaging Technologies, John Chauvin

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral imaging has proven to provide benefits in numerous application domains, including agriculture, biomedicine, remote sensing, and food quality management. Unlike standard color imagery composed of these broad wavelength bands, hyperspectral images are collected over numerous (possibly hundreds) of narrow wavelength bands, thereby offering vastly more information content than standard imagery. It is this higher information content which enables improved performance in complex classification and regression tasks. However, this successful technology is not without its disadvantages which include high cost, slow data capture, high data storage requirements, and computational complexity. This research seeks to overcome these disadvantages through the development …

Sluggish Cognitive Tempo In A Pediatric Population, Anna Elizabeth Croghan

Theses and Dissertations

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), a constellation of symptoms distinguished by daydreaming and lethargy, was previously thought to be characteristic of ADHD. However, it was found that this set of symptoms consistently loaded onto a separate factor. Increased interest in determining the diagnostic validity of SCT has led researchers to study SCT symptoms in relation to other psychological conditions, as well as various functional outcomes. The present study examined the extent to which SCT predicted poorer functioning across measures of cognition, academic achievement, and social problems above and beyond other factors that have been found to co-occur with SCT and independently …

Thermal Stability And Decomposition Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) Using Granular Activated Carbon And Other Porous Materials, Pavankumar Challa Sasi

Theses and Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic chemicals that have been produced for decades as either processing aids or individual ingredients in many industrial and commercial products, including aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), non-stick cookware, and fast-food packaging. PFOA and PFOS have been reported in >95% of blood samples collected during multiple U.S. national surveys at concentrations that are a risk to human health. Thermal treatment is routinely used to reactivate the spent granular activated carbon (GAC) from water purification facilities. The aims of this study were: (1) to improve our understanding of the thermal stability of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; …

A Development Of A General Heat Transfer Correlation For Boiling Two-Phase Flow Of Pure Ethanol Based On Experimental Datasets And Correlations, Mohamed Elfaham

Theses and Dissertations

Two-phase flow heat transfer has gained an extensive focus over the past decades in many industrial applications and thermal systems. Flow involving phase change due to boiling or condensation exhibits much higher heat transfer coefficient compared to single-phase flow when it is only sensible heat transfer involved. The knowledge of heat transfer coefficients and their parametric behaviors can be utilized to improve the accuracy of models used for designing and optimizing heat transfer equipment for more effective thermal management applications.In two-phase flow boiling heat transfer, the working fluid can a single pure fluid or a binary fluid mixture. In present …

Evaluating Virtual Reality And Artificial Intelligence As Solutions For Delayed Flight Progress In Aviation Pilot Training, Ryan Paul Guthridge

Theses and Dissertations

Three studies in this dissertation examined a topic centered around delayed flight progress in aviation pilot training. Study one explored the impact of nonconcurrent flight laboratory training on the academic outcomes of collegiate aviation students, while studies two and three explored virtual reality and artificial intelligence as potential solutions to help alleviate the strain of delayed flight progress on the flight training organization. In the first study (n = 144), it was found that concurrent enrollment in an aviation classroom ground course and flight training laboratory positively impacts the mean academic block exam scores of students. In study two (n …

Impact Of Eyewitness Gender On Juror Perceptions Of Credibility, Shannon Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

While the influence of expert witness gender on juror perceptions of credibility has been widely researched, the effect of eyewitness gender has only begun to be investigated. Expert witness gender has been shown to have an impact on the perception of the credibility of testimony given, such that male expert witnesses are typically seen as more credible than female eyewitness. However, in some situations, such as a case that is considered feminine domain like child welfare, women may be seen as more credible. The purpose of the current study is to expand upon the existing literature on the impact of …

Instructional Coach Professional Learning: Developing Reflective Practices, Cultural Competence, And Self-Efficacy In An Asynchronous Course, Mena Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Effective instructional coaching programs have the potential to promote the development of reflective practices, cultural competence, and self-efficacy of educators, but require intentional professional development for coaches. This research inquiry examines instructional coach participants’ reflective practices, cultural competence, and self-efficacy after participating in an eight-week asynchronous Coach-Teacher Partnership Toolkit (CTPT) professional development course and the effects of the CTPT course on their coaching practices (Hill, 2021c). This study also examines teacher perceptions of cultural competence and reflective practice development as related to organizational and instructional coaching supports.

Results of the study indicate instructional coaches desire ongoing and purposeful professional development …

The Importance Of Inclusive Classrooms For Students With Disabilities: Research Leading To The Creation Of A Needs Assessment To Support Inclusive Classrooms, Tara Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Inclusion of students with disabilities in the general classroom has many benefits for all students in the classroom, not just students with disabilities. Including students teaches all students kindness, compassion, and patience. For special education students, inclusion increases confidence, social skills, helps to create a sense of belonging, and makes learning more enjoyable. The purpose of this study was to see if students with disabilities make more progress being included in the general classroom with their peers or pulled into the resource room and placed on an alternate curriculum. Data was collected using progress monitoring scores and IEP goals. Results …

Origin Of Red Sequence Barred Spiral Galaxies, Jenica Lesser

Theses and Dissertations

Spiral galaxies contain spiral arms that are sites of ongoing star formation, typically making these galaxies appear blue in color. Several studies, however, have recently found that a small fraction of cluster spiral galaxies (~10%) appear red in color. These studies have proposed several mechanisms to explain the red color of spiral galaxies, including bar instabilities. The research goal of this thesis is to contrast and compare imaging data for a sample of face-on red-sequence (RS) and non-red-sequence (NRS) barred spiral galaxies selected from 67 low-redshift galaxy clusters. These data were collected from observations obtained using the 3.6-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, …

Effects Of Temperature And Feedstock Composition On Product Distribution Of Mixed Plastic Waste Pyrolysis, Zachary William Meduna

Theses and Dissertations

Plastic is one of the most widely used packaging materials; however, there are limited processes in place for recycling at the end of its life, especially for plastics 3-7 including: PVC, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). Pyrolysis, or chemical recycling, has shown to be promising to break plastics down to fuels, monomers, or other chemicals. This has been shown to also make use of mixed plastic. This work studies the interactions during fast pyrolysis between commonly unrecyclable plastics. Chapter II investigates the interaction of PS and PP in fast pyrolysis at temperatures of 450, 500, and 550 …

Characterization Of Vertical Growth Of Fractures In Layered Formations, Vibhas Jagdish Pandey

Theses and Dissertations

Hydraulic fracturing treatments are routinely pumped in oil and gas wells worldwide to enhance production and manage the economic recovery of hydrocarbon reserves. The uplift in the production after a fracture stimulation job depends on several parameters, of which optimal coverage of the payzone by the treatment is one of the more important ones. The vertical growth of hydraulic fractures thus is a topic of great interest amongst researchers because of its ability to influence the outcome of a stimulation treatment.

The modeling and prediction of fracture height, especially in layered formations, is a challenging task given the associated complexities …

The Impact Of Betrayal Trauma On Sexual Assertiveness In Women And The Examination Of Trust And Self-Esteem As Mediating Factors, Alexandra Rehovsky

Theses and Dissertations

There is a significant body of research that links sexual assault to a decrease in sexual assertiveness; however, there is a gap in research exploring how other forms of trauma that involve a violation of trust and security within close relationships (i.e., other forms of betrayal trauma) may also negatively impact sexual assertiveness. In the current study, 310 female participants were assessed for a history of betrayal trauma, as well as self-reported sexual assertiveness. In addition, three potential mediators were included in the study (relational trust, sexual self-esteem, and global self-esteem) to further explore the relationship between betrayal trauma and …

Investigating Gender Diversity, Equity, And Inclusivity And Students’ Experiences Within Collegiate Team-Based Learning Environments, Marissa Elizabeth Saad

Theses and Dissertations

As the United States works towards strengthening and diversifying the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce, many national charges aim to increase the quantity of female participants, while overlooking how systematic barriers affect the quality of female students’ education. Many STEM workforce development programs, such as the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, are committed to improving the nation’s diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) efforts, enabling technical education through hands-on team-based learning (TBL) environments.

The purpose of this study was to take a holistic approach to assess how gender DEI in STEM team environments influence the quality of …

Impact Of Expert And Victim Gender In A Case Involving Intimate Partner Violence, Mckenzie Schueller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact expert witness and victim gender had on mock jurors’ perceptions in a court case involving intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants were asked to read a mock trial transcript that included testimony of a victim and an expert and respond to questions. Results indicated that gender of the victim was oftentimes more influential on mock jurors’ perceptions than gender of the expert. For instance, the female victim was perceived as less blameworthy than the male victim regardless of expert gender. Furthermore, both the male and female expert were viewed as more …

Increasing Implementation Fidelity Of Behavior Intervention Plans In Public Schools Following Delivery Of Remote Behavior Skills Training For Staff, Shayna Kia Shriver

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a remote training to educate teachers in effectively implementing interventions within a behavior intervention plan (BIP) following remote behavior skills training (BST). This study addressed the following research question: What are the effects of a remote behavior skills training program on the teacher percentage of correctly implemented steps of a behavior intervention program. The study was conducted with elementary school teachers who work with students who continue to exhibit problematic behaviors. Teachers were trained to effectively implement students’ current BIPs, which consisted of teachers reporting on the effectiveness of …

Melting Layer Analysis Of In-Situ Observations Obtained From Multiple Field Projects, Logan John Twohey

Theses and Dissertations

The process of melting snow as clouds precipitate is important for storm evolution. The atmospheric layer where melting occurs has largely been studied with radar observations that investigate the bright band region; however, in-situ observations are necessary to improve and verify these radar observations. In-situ observations during recent NASA field campaign are reviewed to obtain aircraft profiles of the melting layer. A total of thirty-three melting layer cases are analyzed for changes in area ratio and particle size distribution from above, within, and below the melting layer. Additionally, the effect relative humidity in the melting layer is analyzed. The area …

Beyond The Brick And Mortar: Examining Internal Selection Of Principals, Brittany Upton

Theses and Dissertations

Consistent growth, expansion, and construction in high enrollment North Dakota school districts and across the country lead to the addition of principal positions. This study closely examined the internal recruitment and selection of the building principal. Experienced principals who have led both a new and existing North Dakota public school with high enrollment served as field expert participants in a Delphi Study and qualitative document review. Ten Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) were used by participants as competencies to first identify which have been more important when considering leading both a newly built school and an existing school. After …

Investigation Of Stoichiometric And Catalytic Palladium Mediated Reactions, Purna Chandra Rao Vasireddy

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the investigation of stoichiometric and catalytic transformations involving Pd(II) compounds. The first two parts of the dissertation are focused on the preparation, characterization and application of the well-known group of Pd(II) derivatives called cyclopalladated complexes (CPCs). Specifically, N,N-dimethylhydrazone of D-camphor (I.1) was obtained as the single E isomer in 80% yield by treating the enantiopure ketone with N,N-dimethylhydrazine in the presence of an equimolar amount of p-TSA.H2O in ethanol. Direct cyclopalladation of hydrazone I.1 was accomplished at the C(3)H2 group using Pd(MeCN)2Cl2 and NaOAc in MeCN at the reflux temperature. The product of the reaction, dinuclear cyclopalladated …

Data Driven Approach To Saltwater Disposal (Swd) Well Location Optimization In North Dakota, Kalyanaraman Venugopal

Theses and Dissertations

The sharp increase in oil and gas production in the Williston Basin of North Dakota since 2006 has resulted in a significant increase in produced water volumes. Primary mechanism for disposal of produced water is by injection into underground Inyan Kara formation through Class-II Saltwater Disposal (SWD) wells. With number of SWD wells anticipated to increase from 900 to over 1400 by 2035, localized pressurization and other potential issues that could affect performance of future oil and SWD wells, there was a need for a reliable model to select locations of future SWD wells for optimum performance. Since it is …

The Role Of Coping Self-Efficacy, Coping Strategies, And Resiliency Following Sexual Assault, Lauren Hirsch

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in the United States that effects people of all genders and sexualities. Due to fears of negative consequences, many victims of sexual assault do not legally prosecute the perpetrator. Those who do risk experiencing secondary victimization. The use of legal advocates during prosecution can help to guide individuals through the legal process and add a layer of social support that can minimize feelings of secondary victimization and help increase resilience in the victims. In this dissertation I examined a model predicting resilience from coping self-efficacy, mediated by four coping strategies. Participants were at least …

The Experience Of Saudi Students Writing Academic English In Sex-Separated Classrooms, Rana Alsaadi

Theses and Dissertations

This is a qualitative research that investigates the experiences of undergraduate Saudi female and male students majoring in English at Taif University, Saudi Arabia. These students were part of different sections of a course that teaches academic English writing and research in an English as a Foreign Language context. These Saudi female and male students draw on their perceptions of three main points; First, how they experienced the academic English writing course in sex-separated classrooms. Second, how the current sex-separated classrooms influence their learning of English and how if this hypothetically change to mixed-sex classrooms their experiences in learning English …

Energy Harvesting & Wing Morphing Design Using Piezoelectric Macro Fiber Composites, Md Saifuddin Ahmed Atique

Theses and Dissertations

Energy harvesting from vibration sources was a very promising field of research throughout the last few decades among the engineers and scientist as considering the necessity of renewable/green energy for the welfare of mankind. Unused vibration energy exists in the surrounding or machineries was always tried to be utilized. Since then, by using piezoelectric transduction, researchers started to harvest the vibration energy. However, after the invention of piezo ceramics Macro Fiber Composites (MFC) by NASA, the research in this field augmented a lot due to its high efficiency to convert mechanical strain or vibration to useful electrical power and vice …