Digital Commons Network^™

Meta-Analysis For Comparing Effect Between Game-Based Learning Versus Gamification Utilized In Nutrition Education, Chia-Lin Chang

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016 and was declared as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 (Haththotuwa et al., 2020; "Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Nutrition education that involves knowledge and behavioral change is one major component addressing the problem ("Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Therefore, the effectiveness of each learning session is essential (Sharifirad et al., 2013). Thus, many nutrition educators have used gamified nutrition education to improve teaching effectiveness to increase healthy behavior or knowledge (Chow et al., 2020.; Munguba et al., 2008; Azevedo et al., 2019). Two …

An Introduction To Numerical Relativity And Simulations Of Binary Neutron Stars, Hayden Dale Drown

Theses and Dissertations

The theory of general relativity is currently the best description of gravity. However, the equations in general relativity are highly nonlinear and only the simplest of cases can hope to be solved analytically. As a result, the field of numerical relativity was created to solve some of these issues and to model more complicated dynamical situations. This thesis sets out to give the reader a basic understanding of general relativity, numerical relativity, as well as an understanding of some of the programs that are used in numerical relativity research such as Lorene and the Einstein Toolkit and concludes with a …

The Moral Foundations Of Attitudes Toward Mask Wearing, Kristen N. Leighton

Theses and Dissertations

As COVID-19 becomes endemic it is important to understand individual differences in motivation and adherence to mask wearing policies and recommendations. Mask wearing appears to be one way to protect communities, slow the spread, and save lives when COVID-19 rates spike in communities The main study aim was to examine how Moral Foundations Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior, specifically subjective norms, may explain individual differences in mask wearing to slow the spread of COVID-19. Understanding the psychological correlates of why and how often individuals wear a mask to slow the spread of COVID-19 can help community leaders, public health …

Examining Cultural Identification And Substance Use Among American Indian And Caucasian Adults, Lynn Ruth Martell

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests American Indians (AIs) demonstrate higher levels of substance use and related consequences. AIs have experienced historical trauma through colonization which has created shifts in the way AIs conceptualize their identity. However, the literature on cultural identification as an influencing factor of substance use among AIs is inconsistent. The current study examined alcohol and drug use/related consequences, collective self-esteem, and cultural identification among 213 AI (n = 44) and Caucasian (CA; n = 169) adults via online surveys. Results indicated higher scores on the American Indian Cultural Identification (AICI) scale was a predictor for increased alcohol and drug …

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy/Spectroscopy Measurements And Density Functional Theory Calculations On Cr/Si Modified Surfaces And Probing Dielectric Properties Of A Si Nanocrystal Thin Film Using Xps, Sameera Madhusanka Pathirana Pathiranage

Theses and Dissertations

CrSi2 is an important refractory metal-silicide with high thermal power and a narrow bandgap which makes it a suitable material for high-temperature thermoelectric applications. The present work investigates the early stages of the growth of Cr film on Si (110) and its electronic properties by combining Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Density Functional Theory. Cr atoms deposited on Si (110) formed grains of CrSi2 with interfacial dislocations along 1/2<1 1-1> Burgers vectors. After annealing at 1100°C, disconnected CrSi2 crystallites emerged. The crystallites had well-defined facets. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements showed that the crystallites were metallic. Simulated DOS data of the facets also …

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 …

A Survey Of Research Administrators To Identify Areas Of Administrative Burden In Federal Research Grant Management, Jessica Lynn Schiller

Theses and Dissertations

Many processes in higher education are complicated by administrative burden and proceduralinefficiencies. The federal government and research universities partner to advance science and technology, but the federal research grant process is criticized for its lack of efficient and streamlined procedures. Staff and faculty alike lament losing valuable time to bureaucratic regulations, cumbersome processes, and burgeoning reporting standards. As the cost of higher education is increasingly scrutinized, current procedures must be analyzed to identify areas of excessive administrative burden and redesigned to maximize efficiency. To address this issue, a Qualtrics survey was deployed to research administrators to identify areas of administrative …

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 …

Telehealth Satisfaction Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hillary Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial disruptions and changes in mental health service delivery as community mental health clinics had to scramble to implement telehealth services to provide continuity of care under quarantine. For the current study, I conducted in-depth video interviews with ten clients from a community mental health training clinic who transitioned from in-person services to telehealth services. Twenty-one factors related to clients’ satisfaction with telehealth services and their perceived barriers to the treatment modality using a grounded theory framework. The majority of participants reported they were satisfied with telehealth but preferred to return to in-person therapy sessions with …

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 …

Non-Binary Gender Identity Development: A Qualitative Study, Trevor Waagen

Theses and Dissertations

Gender identity development models in psychology for transgender individuals have typically combined the experiences of binary transgender and non-binary transgender people into the same group. However, differences may exist between the two communities. Therefore, the present study sought to explore the lived experiences of non-binary adults and their gender identity development process. Through the lens of grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014), semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 non-binary participants to collect rich data on their gender identity development process. Transcriptions were coded and reviewed to develop themes and categories. The themes included: Connection and relationships, intersectionality and culture, gender in …

Road To Recovery: Social Acknowledgement, Disclosure And Self-Labeling Of Victims/Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Madison Waldron

Theses and Dissertations

Object: Sexual violence affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of social acknowledgement, self-labeling, and disclosure on active coping after experiencing sexual violence. Method: A sample of 174 young adults completed an online study which included questionnaires about past unwanted sexual experiences, social acknowledgment, disclosure, self-label, a timeline follow-back, and coping. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant main effect for social acknowledgement scores based upon label (p = .009). Participants who chose the “both” label felt more socially acknowledged compared to those who …

Leading Through Partnership: An Examination Of Longitudinal Trends In A School-University Partnership, Kala Burrell-Craft, Patrick Doyle, Mary Gregory, Jori S. Beck, Peter D. Wiens

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of this manuscript is to detail pre- and post- changes that occurred after a principal, Dr. D, was moved from one middle school to another. Dr. D brought an established partnership with him to his new school including a teacher residency program, UTeach replication program, and an on-site course. The results of ANOVAs are presented regarding the school climate according to student and teacher perspectives. Significant results were found on a number of variables including student belonging, bullying, and teacher autonomy. This manuscript addresses the National Association for Professional Development Schools Essential #5: Research and Results.

Lessons Learned From Two Teacher Educators: What Covid-19 Can Teach Us About Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers To Teach The Next Generation Of Students, Min Jung Lee, Jennifer Kidd, Kristie Gutierrez, Elizabeth Langran (Ed.)

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has required teacher educators to teach their classes online. Teacher educators now need to reflect on the learning opportunities that the COVID-19 induced shift to online learning has provided. This study shares two teacher educators’ experiences of teaching and supporting preservice teachers (PSTs) as they taught engineering online to elementary students. The two teacher educators noticed (a) positive changes in PSTs’ attitudes and beliefs about technology integration, (b) PSTs’ tendency to select and use of educational technologies, (c) PSTs’ recognition of the importance of online interaction and feedback from K-12 students, (d) …

Supporting The Oral Language Development Of Young Dual Language Learners: Perspectives Of El Teachers In Nh, Maria C. Chouinard

Honors Theses and Capstones

Demographic shifts in the US over the last two decades have increased the diversity gap between teachers and their students. The majority of multilingual children entering US public schools face the challenge of learning academic content in not just one, but two languages. Despite many of the positive effects of being bilingual, Dual Language Learners (DLLs) often face more challenges in education achievement and opportunities than their monolingual English-speaking peers. A key factor of this challenge is the fact that DLLs tend to have monolingual English-speaking peers, and teachers have been shown to play a critical role in student learning. …

Combating Climate Change: Saving American Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure, Seamus Quinn

Honors Theses and Capstones

Climate change is a significant issue currently facing the United States’ wastewater treatment sector. It is becoming increasingly clear that its effects have the potential to damage and disrupt the operations of both treatment facilities and associated systems. This study aims to determine which effects of climate change contribute to this risk based on feedback from a combination of academic researchers and industry professionals. A case study of the city of Warwick, Rhode Island’s wastewater treatment facility was used to supplement this information based on an evaluation of how this particular system has been impacted by the effects of climate …

Should Cryptocurrency And Nft’S Be Used As Collateral?, John M. Helmanis

Honors Theses and Capstones

Nothing has captured the attention of modern finance quite like cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFT), whether it’s the massive skyrocketing price or the next day's sudden drop wiping out millions of dollars seemingly overnight. This paper seeks to understand cryptocurrencies and NFT's position in modern finance in terms of collateral. Specifically, the question that will be answered is should cryptocurrencies and NFTs be used as collateral? This question has relevance because widespread use as collateral would signify validation as an asset class that holds value. Some cryptocurrency brokers are making loans backed by cryptocurrency, but currently, no major banks are …

Characterization Of L-Malic Acid-Capped Cds Quantum Dots And Examination Of The Nanoncrystal's Biosensor Ability, Andrei A. Potapenko

Honors Theses and Capstones

Ligand-capped quantum dots are microscopic semiconductors commonly used in biomedical research and therapy for cell imaging and drug delivery. Despite the abundance of in vivo applications, the nature of interactions between the nanocrystals and the amino acids comprising human proteins remains insufficiently investigated. In this work, we report on the synthesis, ligand exchange, and characterization of the L-malic acid-capped CdS quantum dots via various spectroscopic techniques. We also assess the ligand-capped nanocrystals as potential probes for some amino acids. We determine that in the presence of L-cysteine, the L-malic acid-capped CdS quantum dots fluorescence signal quenches drastically, thus indicating a …

How The Media Frames Mental Health And Social Media: A Case Study Of The Facebook Whistleblower, Megan Switzgable

Honors Theses and Capstones

In September 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, leaked confidential documents surrounding internal research performed at the company, revealing that Facebook knew the negative impact Instagram had on the mental health of teenagers. In this paper, I study how the media frames the relationship between mental health, teenagers, and social media when discussing the leaked documents. In order to do this, I perform a critical discourse analysis of thirty print media articles written about the Facebook Whistleblower, focusing on how the
articles present gender, mental health, and the positive and negative uses of social media. I also look at …

Controls On Carbon Gas Fluxes From A Temperate Forest Soil, Natalie A. White, Ruth K. Varner, Clarice R. Perryman

Honors Theses and Capstones

Forest soils consume atmospheric methane (CH₄), serving as a major global CH₄ sink that uptake an estimated 22 ± 12 Tg of CH₄ per year. Temperature and soil moisture have been identified as key controls of the microbial consumption of CH₄ in forest soils. Climate-driven warming and changing moisture regimes may impact forest soils’ role in the carbon cycle, and recent works suggests that forests could become weaker CH₄ sinks. Long-term monitoring sites can capture these changes, leading to better predictions of CH₄ exchange between the atmosphere and soils under climate change. This study …

Quality Of Life And Symptom Sharing Among Women With Athletic Urinary Incontinence, Hailey Stevens

Honors Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Introduction Women have a 2-3.5 times greater chance of urinary incontinence (UI) during exercise. Some high-impact activities are particularly provocative including gymnastics, trampoline, and volleyball. Athletic UI can cause frustration, worry, and embarrassment for women, negatively influencing their quality of life and sports performance. Methods This secondary analysis aimed to compare UI frequency with the amount of frustration, worry, and embarrassment (F/W/E) experienced by athletic and active women with UI. Data regarding the frequency of UI, management strategies, amount of F/W/E, and demographics from the Active Women’s Incontinence Screening Tool (AWIST) was analyzed. Data analysis was performed in Excel …

The Liberatory Potential Of Fashion, David Billie Suoth

Honors Theses and Capstones

Fashion has the potential to be liberatory and this can be seen in the ways fashion has been targeted by systems of oppression. Fashion is the use of clothes as a vessel to create a greater social meaning. According to Edward Sapir, the meaning of fashion “while it is primarily applied to dress and the exhibition of the human body is not essentially concerned with the fact of dress or ornament, but with its symbolism” (Barnard, 2007, p. 65). Fashion with the symbolism behind it is able to show the sentiments and attitudes of civilization at different points in history …

Examining The Brand Image Of Paul College, Rebecca E. Milbury

Honors Theses and Capstones

The idea of a company’s brand image is a marketing subject that many companies need to consider. How consumers see or feel about a company is extremely important especially for higher education. Business schools are very competitive and in order to succeed, they need to understand how their students, alumni, faculty, and staff feel about their school. The results of the brand image survey are compared to those from a recent study completed in 2016. There are a few changes made to this survey, including adding alumni, faculty, and staff to the respondent pool. In doing so, this research will …

Screening Ocean Samples From Georgia For The Presence Of Msx And Dermo Using Pcr And Qpcr Methods, Olivia Michelle Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

This Senior Thesis project aimed to be able to screen samples that came in from a PhD student in Georgia for the presence of two oyster diseases, MSX and Dermo. This study was done using PCR followed by visualizing on E-gels for initial presence of disease. These were then followed by qPCR and visualization on Criterion gels. These Criterion gels were able to be analyzed in order to calculate the pg/uL of MSX and Dermo in the original ocean samples. Since the samples were sent in over the course of February-August ‘21 the presence over time was also able to …

Privacy Paradox: The Impact A Health Crisis Has On Individual Views Regarding Privacy And Data Collection, Jessica B. Walsh

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Hungary Study Abroad Travel Writing Portfolio, Katherine Hoppler

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Telehealth Delivery Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy And Recreational Therapy: Supporting People With Chronic Pain During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Grace L. Roy

Honors Theses and Capstones

Chronic pain is a significant public health problem that requires person-centered and comprehensive care to address the many socioecological factors that contribute to pain. Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth options for chronic pain management can help more people access the care that they need. The purpose of the current pilot study was to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of delivering a 6-week Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and recreational therapy intervention via telehealth for a group of seven participants with chronic pain. It was found that TeleACT-RT was associated with positive behavioral outcomes including increased psychological flexibility, …

An Examination Of Effective Length In Moment Frames, Connor Stephen Schott

Honors Theses and Capstones

The honors thesis project I have been working on is called An Examination of Effective Length in Moment Frame. When loaded axially in compression columns experience a failure mode in compression that axially loaded members don’t experience in tension. This failure mode, elastic column buckling, doesn’t involve yielding or rupture; the column changes shape and deforms to the side. In order to come up with a solution to this failure mode, Leonhard Euler developed the critical buckling load equation. However, this equation uses an effective length of columns, which is the distance between two points of zero moment, or …

Finding The Best Predictors For Foot Traffic In Us Seafood Restaurants, Isabel Paige Beaulieu

Honors Theses and Capstones

COVID-19 caused state and nation-wide lockdowns, which altered human foot traffic, especially in restaurants. The seafood sector in particular suffered greatly as there was an increase in illegal fishing, it is made up of perishable goods, it is seasonal in some places, and imports and exports were slowed. Foot traffic data is useful for business owners to have to know how much to order, how many employees to schedule, etc. One issue is that the data is very expensive, hard to get, and not available until months after it is recorded. Our goal is to not only find covariates that …