Digital Commons Network^™

It’S The Trauma Talking: A Phenomenology Of Foster Parents’ Trauma Knowledge In Central Virginia, Stephanie Lynn Cheek

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe foster parents’ trauma knowledge in Central Virginia. The theories guiding this study include childhood complex trauma theory and experiential learning theory (ELT). As discussed by Herman (1992) and Terr (1991), childhood complex trauma theory explains the behaviors and actions of foster children who have suffered complex trauma. As discussed by Kolb (2014), ELT explains the processes that foster parents go through in gaining and applying trauma knowledge to their fostering. The central research question is, how do foster parents in Central Virginia describe their trauma knowledge? Further research questions include, how …

A Phenomenological Study Of Black Women In Leadership: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Women In The Healthcare Field, Janice Tabatha Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black women in leadership positions in the healthcare field. The study used an intersectional lens to illustrate how gender, race, class, and spirituality contributed to the systemic structures of oppression, bias, and discrimination, limiting ascension to positions of power and authority. The theoretical framework guiding this inquiry was the great man leadership theory, which analyzed how socio-cultural identities influenced Black women’s perceptions and experiences of leadership within the organizational context. Adopting a phenomenological study research design conceptualized the experiences of Black women executives working in a …

Evaluating The Concepts Of The Tarde Imitation Theory And Its Impact On Training Effectiveness For Law Enforcement In Times Of Disaster, Barry D. Walker Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper looks at the effectiveness of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training from the perspective of those using the training. In addition, it looks at how the Imitation Theory developed by Tarde may or may not impact effective training, specifically in response by those exposed to a large-scale disaster. The researcher accomplishes this study through qualitative analysis of interviews conducted in the Panhandle of Florida with those who have had some FEMA training and have had at least one personal experience with a large-scale disaster. The researcher discovered that it is common for those working in the Panhandle of …

Effectiveness Of Instructional Design And Technology In A Non-Traditional Parental Program: An Embedded Single Case Study, Sonja Loraine Howell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to discover the effectiveness of the instructional design of an organization's current programs. The central research question was to determine how instructional design impacts the effectiveness of a nontraditional court-ordered parental instructional program. The theory guiding this study is Kearsley & Schneiderman’s engagement theory, as it structures interactions to facilitate collaboration in a project-based environment with a meaningful focus using instructional design. The methodology for analyzing this study includes Yin’s and Stake’s models to understand a profoundly complex social phenomenon and actual live program. This study gave intrinsic and extrinsic validity while researching …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Law Enforcement Protocols In Middle Appalachian States, Timothy W. Roberts

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the operational procedures of law enforcement organizations across the United States. The COVID-19 virus has forced police administrators to rethink strategies and procedures dealing with law enforcement’s multiple functions and roles in society. The pandemic is causing unprecedented challenges for law enforcement administrators to balance the organization’s priorities and the safety of officers under their command. The police functions are adapting to include personal protection to prevent the spread of the virus among the law enforcement community. This multiple case qualitative study aimed to show the immediate operational changes in law enforcement since the start …

Utilizing Resilience And Persistence Strategies To Reduce African American Doctoral Attrition, Dudley Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the attrition rate of African American doctoral students and how to improve their retention and graduation using resilience and persistence. Across all disciplines, 40–60% of students who began doctoral programs did not persist to graduation (Falconer & Djokic, 2019; Mirick & Wladkowski, 2020). A semi-structured interview format was used to collect the data from 27 African American participants, 20 females and 7 males, who had already obtained their doctoral degrees. The study sought to explain the phenomenon of African American doctoral students who persevered to finish their degree, in spite …

Implementation Of An Adverse Childhood Experiences (Ace) Screening Protocol For Adults At An Outpatient Medical Psychology Practice: A Dnp Project, Jennifer E. Allain

Dissertations

This DNP project aimed to educate and train staff and providers on ACE screening and implement an ACE screening policy and protocol at an outpatient medical psychology practice. The two expected outcomes of this project, provider knowledge after ACE training and provider compliance with the ACE screening protocol, were measured to determine if a clinical practice change occurred. A paired-samples t-test compared the participants' knowledge of ACEs before and after the ACE educational intervention with a pre/post-test. There was a statistically significant difference in the pre-test and post-test scores. These findings reflected a change in knowledge based on education …

Reducing The Rates Of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries In An Acute Care Hospital, Nana Aisha Nasir-Deen, Roy L. Simpson, Rose Murphree

DNP and Student Works

This project aims to decrease hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) in an acute care facility. This objective will be achieved by utilizing the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model to implement and evaluate the effect of a unit-specific multidisciplinary team on HAPI rates, specifically through increasing patient repositioning compliance.

Digital Financial Services And Strategic Financial Management: Financial Services Firms And Microenterprises In African Markets, Esi A. Elliot, Carmina Cavazos, Benjamin Ngugi

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

This study highlights the impact of digital financial services as enhancing the capacity of development goals as well as social sustainability. The selected emerging markets are Ghanaian financial service providers (FSP)s and microenterprise customers (CME)s, where we examine how “Ubuntu”, an African philosophy of humanism, legitimizes spaces for a more democratic, egalitarian, and ethical engagement of human beings. This study adopts a grounded theory methodology for investigation of the phenomena with a sample size of 70 relationship managers. The findings further existing sustainability literature pertaining to social sustainability and consumer wellbeing. We contribute to theory by presenting a psychological perspective …

Competition Law Enforcement In Ukraine: Challenges From On-Line Giants, Anzhelika Gerasymenko, Nataliia Mazaraki

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

Competition law, economics and policy are facing a regulatory metamorphosis due to the rise of the digital economy. US, China and EU jurisdictions have announced and partially introduced systemic changes to their competition law frameworks to keep pace with technological developments. The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine is following the principle of ‘three monkeys’, it sees no on-line platforms, hears no on-line platforms, speaks of no on-line platforms, so nothing has been undertaken or even announced. The paper is twofold. Firstly, it analyses the economic background and features of the digital economy and shows why the available instruments of competition enforcement …

Consensual Qualitative Research Of Compassion And Self-Compassion Definitions: A General Public Perspective, Júlia Halamová, Andrea Petrovajová, Tomáš Žilinský

The Qualitative Report

Even though compassion for others and for the self are important indicators of mental and physical health and well-being, scientists vary greatly in defining them. Therefore, we examined how the public defines compassion for others and self and explore what are the similarities or differences between researchers´ definitions and public´s definitions of compassions as well as between compassion and self-compassion themselves. 305 members of public defined compassion and self-compassion using their own words, of which we randomly selected 35 for the analysis. The definitions have been analysed using the modified Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR-M) method. The research team composed of …

Defining Traffic Scenarios For The Visually Impaired, Judith Jakob, Kordula Kugele, József Tick

The Qualitative Report

For the development of a transfer concept of camera-based object detections from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems to the assistance of the visually impaired, we define relevant traffic scenarios and vision use cases by means of problem-centered interviews with four experts and ten members of the target group. We identify the six traffic scenarios: general orientation, navigating to an address, crossing a road, obstacle avoidance, boarding a bus, and at the train station clustered into the three categories: Orientation, Pedestrian, and Public Transport. Based on the data, we describe each traffic scenario and derive a summarizing table adapted from software engineering …

Addressing The Problem Of Student Engagement In The Classroom, Levi R. Urias

Masters Projects

The problem of student engagement is one that is faced by teachers everywhere. While multiple strategies exist for combating this issue, project-based learning and inquiry-based learning are two that stand out in the multitude of research. Additionally, these strategies are ideal in the science classroom as they align very well with the Next Generation Science Standards that are used in Michigan, including rural Southwest Michigan school, Eau Claire High School. This project explores these instructional strategies and their various benefits which include improved critical thinking, improved social skills, and improved questioning skills.

Exploring Using Game-Based Learning And Gamification In A Secondary Classroom To Increase Engagement, Mandee Lynn Thiell

Masters Projects

Research has connected the importance of student engagement and student experience within the classroom but continue to use teacher directed traditional teaching methods. This project explores the use of gamification and game-based learning and how it promotes student engagement. The use of games and game-elements provide a relevant approach that focuses on student autonomy and experience, and ultimately use fun engaging ways to motivate students to learn. This project provides an entry level learning in-service opportunity for secondary educators to discover and create their own lessons that implement gamification and game-based learning in their classrooms in hopes to increase student …

The Importance Of Mitral Valve Prolapse Doming Volume In The Assessment Of Left Ventricular Stroke Volume With Cardiac Mri, Brendan K Podell, Omowunmi Aibana, Chuan-Chin Huang, James E Dilisio, Macallister C Harris, David F Ackart, Kody Armann, Alexander Grover, Patrice Severe, Marc Antoine Jean Juste, Kathryn Dupnik, Randall J Basaraba, Megan B Murray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have shown that vitamin A deficiency is associated with incident tuberculosis (TB) disease, the direction of the association has not been established. We investigated the impact of vitamin A deficiency on TB disease progression.

METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study nested within a randomized clinical trial among HIV-infected patients in Haiti. We compared serial vitamin A levels in individuals who developed TB disease to controls matched on age, gender, follow-up time, and time to antiretroviral therapy initiation. We also evaluated histopathology, bacterial load, and immune outcomes in TB infection in a guinea pig model of …

A Forehead Wearable Sensor For The Objective Measurement Of Chronic Pain, Marcus Orzabal, Ramo Naidu, Kasra Amirdelfan, Alireza Akhbardeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chronic pain impacts one in five Americans and is difficult to manage, costing ~USD 600 billion annually. The subjective experience of pain is a complex processing of central nervous system input. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging revealed the prefrontal cortex as vital to the perception of pain and that changes in the cerebral hemodynamics can be used to detect painful sensations. Current pain monitoring is dependent on the subjective rating provided by patients and is limited to a single time point. We have developed a biomarker for the objective, real-time and continuous chronic pain assessment using proprietary algorithms termed …

Image Fusion Involving Real-Time Transabdominal Or Endoscopic Ultrasound For Gastrointestinal Malignancies: Review Of Current And Future Applications, Ben S Singh, Irina M Cazacu, Carlos A Deza, Bastien S Rigaud, Adrian Saftoiu, Gabriel Gruionu, Lucian Guionu, Kristy K Brock, Eugene J Koay, Joseph M Herman, Manoop S Bhutani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Image fusion of CT, MRI, and PET with endoscopic ultrasound and transabdominal ultrasound can be promising for GI malignancies as it has the potential to allow for a more precise lesion characterization with higher accuracy in tumor detection, staging, and interventional/image guidance. We conducted a literature review to identify the current possibilities of real-time image fusion involving US with a focus on clinical applications in the management of GI malignancies. Liver applications have been the most extensively investigated, either in experimental or commercially available systems. Real-time US fusion imaging of the liver is gaining more acceptance as it enables further …

Covid-19 Induces Cns Cytokine Expression And Loss Of Hippocampal Neurogenesis, Allison L Soung, Abigail Vanderheiden, Xiaoping Jiang, Traci Bricker, Adrianus C M Boon, Robyn S Klein, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with acute and postacute cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms including impaired memory, concentration, attention, sleep and affect. Mechanisms underlying these brain symptoms remain understudied. Here we report that SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters exhibit a lack of viral neuroinvasion despite aberrant blood-brain barrier permeability. Hamsters and patients deceased from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) also exhibit microglial activation and expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, especially within the hippocampus and the medulla oblongata, when compared with non-COVID control hamsters and humans who died from other infections, cardiovascular disease, uraemia or trauma. In the …

The Effect Of Video Recording On Self-Assessment Of High School Vocal Music Students, Julia Christine Sterba

Masters Theses

This research project is designed to examine the effects that video recording and evaluation have on the high school choral music students' skill development of tone, dynamics, rhythm, and pitch and provide information about self-assessment as a directional learning tool for singers to increase student achievement through self-regulated learning. Research indicates the power of self-assessment as an evaluation in the classroom. It has provided educators with tools to implement effective self-assessment practices that promote performance and self-efficacy. This research project will define self-assessment, address what skills are being assessed, and specify the methods of assessment that will be implemented. Models …

Prescribing A Change To The Fda's Drug Labeling Rules After The 21st Century Cures Act, P. Sydney Engle

Duke Law Journal

Signed into law in 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act offers new hope to patients by empowering the FDA to expedite review of innovative, potentially lifesaving drugs. But these expedited approvals raise the risk that pivotal drug safety and efficacy data will not arise until after the drug is already on the market. The Cures Act failed to respond to two key aspects of shifting the discovery of safety and efficacy data to the postmarket phase. First, the Cures Act did not correspondingly enhance the FDA’s authority to require manufacturers to generate and disclose postmarket information. Second, it did not …

Not So Civil Commitment: A Proposal For Statutory Reform Grounded In Procedural Justice, Margaret J. Lederer

Duke Law Journal

Every year, millions of Americans struggle with serious mental illness. Of them, thousands experience civil, or involuntary, commitment—that is, hospitals invoke the coercive power of the state to force these individuals into psychiatric hospitals against their will. Whether someone requires hospitalization is a complex question of psychology, medicine, and substantive law.

But the process of civil commitment itself is troubling. Across the board, states fail to afford those facing civil commitment meaningful procedural protections. Current state laws subject individuals facing commitment to extended periods of confinement with little to no judicial intervention. Indeed, individuals facing commitment may wait weeks or …

Which Came First, The Money Or The Sex? Cross-Lagged, Indirect Associations Between Financial Management Behaviors And Sexual Satisfaction, Matthew Todd Saxey

Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have established cross-sectional connections between how married couples navigate their finances and their sexual relationship. For example, financial management behaviors have been shown to predict sexual satisfaction among newlywed couples. However, we know very little about the direction of the association between financial management behaviors and sexual satisfaction. Understanding which might predict the other, or if there might be a bidirectional association between the two, could provide direction on where to intervene to help newlywed couples with financial and/or sexual obstacles in their marriage. With three waves of dyadic data (N = 1,208 U.S. newlywed couples), I used structural …

Andrews University 2022-2025 Strategic Plan - Storyline Three: Resilience And Change, Andrea Luxton

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Talker And A Doer: David Faehner's 37-Year Legacy Of Making Friends For Andrews, Douglas Jones

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Healthcare Providers Can Support Timely Cervical And Breast Cancer Screenings For Individuals With Disabilities, Rachel Byers, Timothy Keady

All Current Publications

This fact sheet outlines how healthcare providers can apply current evidence and best practices in screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer in individuals with disabilities.

Stabilization Of Mcl-1 By E3 Ligase Traf4 Confers Radioresistance, Ming Li, Feng Gao, Xiaoying Li, Yu Gan, Shuangze Han, Xinfang Yu, Haidan Liu, Wei Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The E3 ligase TNF receptor-associated factor 4 (TRAF4) is frequently overexpressed and closely related to poor prognosis in human malignancies. However, its effect on carcinogenesis and radiosensitivity in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. The present study found that TRAF4 was significantly upregulated in primary and relapsed OSCC tumor tissues. Depletion of TRAF4 markedly improved the sensitivity of OSCC cells to irradiation (IR) treatment, showing that tumor cell proliferation, colony formation and xenograft tumor growth were reduced. Mechanistically, IR promoted the interaction between TRAF4 and Akt to induce Akt K63-mediated ubiquitination and activation. TRAF4 knockout inhibited the phosphorylation of …

An Isochroman Analog Of Cd3254 And Allyl-, Isochroman-Analogs Of Net-Tmn Prove To Be More Potent Retinoid-X-Receptor (Rxr) Selective Agonists Than Bexarotene, Peter W Jurutka, Orsola Di Martino, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Bexarotene is an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL); however, its use provokes or disrupts other retinoid-X-receptor (RXR)-dependent nuclear receptor pathways and thereby incites side effects including hypothyroidism and raised triglycerides. Two novel bexarotene analogs, as well as three unique CD3254 analogs and thirteen novel NEt-TMN analogs, were synthesized and characterized for their ability to induce RXR agonism in comparison to bexarotene (

Arginine Methylation Of The Pgc-1Α C‑Terminus Is Temperature- Dependent, Meryl Mendoz, Mariel Mendoza, Tiffany Lubrino, Sidney Briski, Immaculeta Osuji, Janielle Cuala, Brendan Ly, Ivan Ocegueda, Harvey Peralta, Benjamin A. Garcia, Cecilia Zurita-Lopez

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We set out to determine whether the C-terminus (amino acids 481–798) of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α, UniProt Q9UBK2), a regulatory metabolic protein involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, and respiration, is an arginine methyltransferase substrate. Arginine methylation by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) alters protein function and thus contributes to various cellular processes. In addition to confirming methylation of the C-terminus by PRMT1 as described in the literature, we have identified methylation by another member of the PRMT family, PRMT7. We performed in vitro methylation reactions using recombinant mammalian PRMT7 and PRMT1 at 37, 30, 21, 18, and 4 °C. …

Taking The Biscuit: Defining Excessive Quantities Of Free Refreshments In A Healthcare Library, Andrew Tabner, Stuart G. Spicer, Kerryn Husk, Holly Blake, Caroline White, Suzanne Toft, Graham Johnson

Peninsula Medical School

Evidence suggests that complementary hot drinks and biscuits benefit an overworked and highly stressed healthcare workforce. But when signage in healthcare libraries asks patrons not to consume “excessive” quantities of free hot drinks and biscuits, how much is too much? Tabner and colleagues explore this resource allocation conundrumAs the festive season approaches, temperatures plummet, days shorten, and healthcare workers see glimmers of time off around the holidays, some might consider the provision of unlimited free hot drinks and biscuits a welcome token of appreciation; this is particularly the case for National Health Service staff, who are often felt to be …

Withdrawing Antipsychotics For Challenging Behaviours In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Experiences And Views Of Prescribers, G De Kuijper, J De Haan, S Deb, R Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

International current best practice recommends the discontinuation of antipsychotics for challenging behaviours in people with intellectual disabilities (ID), due to lack of evidence of efficacy and risks of harmful side-effects. In clinical practice, discontinuation may be difficult. The aim of this study was to gain insight into prescribers’ practice by investigating their experiences with the discontinuation of long-term antipsychotics for challenging behaviour. From professionals’ associations thirty-four registered ID physicians, psychiatrists and specialist mental healthcare nurses were recruited who completed an online questionnaire in this survey–study. Almost all participants had attempted to deprescribe antipsychotics for their patients with ID. Sixty-five percent …