Digital Commons Network^™

Implementation Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports (Pbis) And Its Impact On Middle School Students’ Academic Success And Problem Behaviors, Brittanie Watson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been implemented across the United States in the effort to help diminish problem behaviors and increase academic success. Schools across the country are reporting an increase in numbers and intensity of problem behaviors. In addition, academic success after the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased in some school districts across the United States. Therefore, districts are looking for an intervention to help increase academics and decrease problem behaviors. With school districts already implementing PBIS, research studies and analyses are needed to ensure that the outcomes expected of PBIS are occurring. In addition, with the little …

Strategic Morphology Interventions For Vocabulary Knowledge In Reading Comprehension, Danielle Marie Sharpe

Masters Theses

Many adolescent students have been shown to fall behind gradually as they reach

secondary grade levels. This has been researched as the effect of socioeconomic factors,

lack of immersive vocabulary backgrounds, and gaps in elementary years. Extensive

research has shown the benefits of morphology instruction in secondary students in

bridging vocabulary gaps, yet many schools have yet to provide them with the support to

comprehend difficult texts across content areas. This project explores the possible benefits

of offering adolescents the extra support and resources that can leverage reading

comprehension across content areas within secondary education. Through the use of

implementing …

Dwindling Trust In Experts: A Starting Point For Information Literacy, Mark N. Lenker Iii

Communications in Information Literacy

Librarians and teachers encourage students to include expert perspectives in their research, but recent public discourse includes high-profile examples of experts being inconsistent or wrong, and recent studies suggest that public trust in experts is declining. Waning trust makes it difficult to teach information literacy: I can push students to find high-quality research sources, but what if these sources turn out to be yet another example of experts getting it wrong? After a period of living with this worry, I found a way to move forward by centering class discussion on the public’s dwindling trust in experts. Part of this …

“Vr”: Virtual Reality, Or Very Risky? Injuries And Liability From Virtual Reality Headsets, Andrew Stein

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

No abstract provided.

Gap Junctions Or Hemichannel-Dependent And Independent Roles Of Connexins In Fibrosis, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions, And Wound Healing, Yuting Li, Francisca M Acosta, Jean X Jiang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fibrosis initially appears as a normal response to damage, where activated fibroblasts produce large amounts of the extracellular matrix (ECM) during the wound healing process to assist in the repair of injured tissue. However, the excessive accumulation of the ECM, unresolved by remodeling mechanisms, leads to organ dysfunction. Connexins, a family of transmembrane channel proteins, are widely recognized for their major roles in fibrosis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and wound healing. Efforts have been made in recent years to identify novel mediators and targets for this regulation. Connexins form gap junctions and hemichannels, mediating communications between neighboring cells and inside …

E-Cigarette Use And Respiratory Symptoms In Adults: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mohammed M. Alqahtani, Faraj K. Alenezi, Mohammed A. Almeshari, Abdullah M. Alanazi, Ziyad Ben Taleb, Mohammad E Ebrahimi Kalan, Mary P. Martinasek, Rheese J. Mcnab, Rachel Culbreth, Mansour Alotaibi, Hassan Alijohani, Lynda T. Goodfellow, Taha T. Ismaeil, Saleh S. Algarni, Tareq F. Alotaibi, Mobarek K. Alqahtani, Hamoud Al-Ajel, Khalid S. Alwadeai, Nafea S. Almutairi, Eric Ford

APC Fund

Introduction:
Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is gaining popularity among adults. Monitoring e-cigarette-induced respiratory symptoms is crucial for both clinical and regulatory purposes. We systematically reviewed the current literature to understand the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among exclusive e-cigarette users, dual users, and former smokers.

Methods:
Databases searched included PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus. We included all English-language, empirical quantitative articles that explored the prevalence of e-cigarette-related respiratory symptoms. Random-effects models were utilized in conducting the meta-analyses. The quality of identified studies was evaluated using the NIH Study Quality Assessment Tools. This study is registered with PROSPERO(#CRD42020165973).

Results:
The …

A Review Of Slipping Rib Syndrome: Diagnostic And Treatment Updates To A Rare And Challenging Problem, Isheeta Madeka, Sneha Alaparthi, Marisa Moreta, Shawn Peterson, Jeffrey Mojica, Johanes Roedl, Olugbenga Okusanya

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Slipping rib syndrome (SRS) is a disorder that occurs when one or more of the eighth through tenth ribs become abnormally mobile. SRS is a poorly understood condition leading to a significant delay in diagnosis and therapeutic management. History and a physical exam are usually sufficient for a diagnosis of SRS. The utility of dynamic ultrasounds has also been studied as a useful diagnostic tool. Multiple surgical techniques for SRS have been described within the literature. Cartilage rib excision (CRE) has been the most common technique utilized. However, the literature has shown a high rate of recurrence and associated risks …

General Education Teacher Perceptions Of Challenges Teaching Reading Within The Response To Intervention Framework, Jennifer Lee Buzolich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Manipulating The Distance Of Inter-Letter And Inter-Word Spacing To Improve Reading Accuracy And Speed In The Dyslexic Student, Jon Roemmich

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Abstract

Recent research studies have shown that increased inter-letter and inter-word spacing has a positive effect on the reading speed and accuracy of students with dyslexia. A few of these studies also included the use of increased font size. Research that has included using fonts designed for dyslexics in addition to increased font size has not produced favorable results in increasing reading accuracy and speed. In relationship to previous research our results have shown that a .5 inter-letter and inter-word spacing has a marginal positive effect on reading accuracy and speed. The use of .3 and .7 inter-letter and inter …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Perceived Stress And Academic Performance Among English Language Students In Central Asia, Laurie Wolfe

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The current study investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness training in reducing stress and increasing academic performance among Uzbek English language students. The researcher partnered with four English faculty at Tashkent State Pedagogical University (TSPU) to conduct a quasi-experimental study using a convenience sample of sixty 2^nd year students studying English as a foreign language. One group of students (n = 30) received mindfulness training while the acted as an active control group (n = 30) and received study skills training. Both groups received 20-minutes training in their English classes, four days a week, for 4-weeks. All participants …

Ethnographic Research Of The Impact Of Catalyst Strategies On The Engagement And Relationships Within The Classroom For 6th Graders Versus 2nd Graders In General Education, Casey Poland, Rene Beaird, Amber Keller, Sara Kubicek

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This 2023 study focused on the effectiveness of the Catalyst Approach to classroom management in a second-grade versus sixth-grade classrooms in the same district. The Catalyst Approach is a comprehensive classroom implementation model that includes strategies for getting attention, engaging students, setting up for success, and supporting success. Whole group strategies are emphasized in this approach to aid in building a productive classroom environment (Burns & Brinkman, 2018). Our focus with this study was threefold: to see how the Catalyst Approach affected classroom management, how the Catalyst Approach affected relationships within the classroom environment, and how the Catalyst Approach compared …

An Analysis Of How Daily Reflection Journals About Reading Impact Students’ Motivation To Read, Alyssa Holland

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This 2023 study analyzed the impact daily reflection journals have on students’ motivation to read. To answer this question, two class periods of approximately 20 students in each period completed a reflection journal based on what they read daily in class. Journals were implemented each day class occurred over 8 weeks. Success of this study was determined through the examination of pre and post motivational surveys, an interview, and analysis of student journals. Results were examined and the research concluded that daily reflection journals have an impact on students' motivation to read.

An Analysis Of How Teaching Through Invention And Consolidation Phases Affects High School Students’ Understanding Of Algebraic Concepts And Beliefs About Mathematics, Cally Simanski

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This quantitative study used a pretest and posttest quasi-experimental design to investigate how students’ understanding of algebraic concepts compared when they were taught using invention and consolidation phases or traditional direct instruction. It also explored how students’ beliefs and attitudes toward mathematics were affected by learning through invention and consolidation phases through a survey with a Likert scale. The study took place during the 2022-2023 academic year in the Intermediate Algebra II course at a mid-size public high school in Minnesota. The researcher had two sections of the course and taught one through direct instruction and the other through invention …

Decodable Readers Versus Leveled Text, Taylor Leitch

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

A student’s ability to read fluently is an extremely vital skill, necessary to allow them to succeed both in an academic setting and in everyday life. To guide those developing readers in increasing their independent reading fluency, abilities educators must have the correct instructional methods and tools that are developmentally appropriate to provide meaningful instruction. This quantitative action research project explores the use of decodable readers versus leveled text for students who are still developing the phonemic skills and recognition needed to read fluently. A decodable reader allows a student to explicitly practice one phonemic skill to mastery before adding …

Ethnographic Research Of The Impact Of Catalyst Strategies On The Engagement And Relationships Within The Classroom For 6th Graders Versus 2nd Graders In The General Education Classroom, Amber Keller, Casey Poland, Rene Beaird, Sara Kubicek

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This 2023 study focused on the effectiveness of the Catalyst Approach to classroom management in a second-grade versus sixth-grade classrooms in the same district. The Catalyst Approach is a comprehensive classroom implementation model that includes strategies for getting attention, engaging students, setting up for success, and supporting success. Whole group strategies are emphasized in this approach to aid in building a productive classroom environment (Burns & Brinkman, 2018). Our focus with this study was threefold: to see how the Catalyst Approach affected classroom management, how the Catalyst Approach affected relationships within the classroom environment, and how the Catalyst Approach compared …

Investigating The Role Of Bhlhe40 In Host Responses To Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection And Myeloid Cell Development, Skyler Hendrix

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of the disease tuberculosis (TB), remain a prominent global health threat that affects millions of people annually. While antibiotic treatments for Mtb infections are available, the increased prevalence of drug-resistant Mtb cases has highlighted the urgent need to develop additional therapeutic options such as host-directed therapies. Development of host-directed therapies, however, first requires a better understanding of the protective immune responses required to control Mtb infection. Such responses must strike a precise balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses that promote bacterial clearance while also minimizing tissue damage. Here we show that the …

Construction Of A Human Pangenome Reference To Improve Structural Variation Detection, Wen-Wei Liao

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Structural variants (SVs) significantly contribute to genetic diversity among individuals and impact gene regulation, disease, and evolution. The predominant approach to profiling these genetic variants in large-scale population studies is through short-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS). This approach involves sequencing millions of short reads, aligning them to a linear reference genome, and subsequently identifying variants relative to this reference. However, its capability to detect SVs, especially long insertions and complex rearrangements, is limited. The primary limitation arises from the insufficient representation of structural diversity across human populations in the linear reference genome. As a result, short reads derived from non-reference SVs …

Racialized Masculinities In Professional Basketball: Utilizing Mixedness To Challenge Commonplace Black/White Media Discourses About Nba Players, Anthony C. Peavy

Communication ETDs

In this dissertation project, I utilize a Critical Mixed Race Studies (CMRS) lens to examine how mixed-race Black/White players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) are represented, discussed, racialized, and gendered by major sports media platforms. More specifically, I utilize this project to elucidate how media centered on professional basketball continue to partake in hegemonic and essentialist rhetoric surrounding Black and White masculinity—that which has been used to discuss Black and White men in basketball throughout the entire history of the sport—to homogenize mixed-race Black/White men in the NBA and present them in a way that diminishes the potentially deconstructive …

"Suited To The Wants Of The Country": Historical Ceramics From The Fort Vancouver Sutler's Store, Vancouver, Washington, Kaitlyn Nicole Hosken

Dissertations and Theses

For much of the early 19th century, the British Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) dominated commercial activity throughout the Pacific Northwest. Following development of the Oregon Trail in the 1840s and 1850s, however, the HBC saw increasing social and economic competition from American settlers. This research examines nationalist attitudes evident during the transition to the American colonial era and effects on the consumption of commercial goods. Analyses compare archaeological ceramics from two retail sites located in what is now Vancouver, Washington: an 1850s American sutler's store and the HBC Sale Shop. Additional comparison is made with a contemporaneous U.S. Army Officers' …

The Experiences Of Black Women Direct Care Workers In Long-Term Care, Nakeshia Knight-Coyle

Dissertations and Theses

This study expands understanding about the experiences of Black women direct care workers (DCWs) experiences with racism, discrimination, and economic exploitation in the long-term care (LTC) sector. It comes at a critical time when COVID-19 has demonstrated the important and essential nature of long-term care work. COVID-19 has also elucidated the challenges of an insufficient workforce and its detrimental impact on the long-term care system’s ability to meet the care needs of those accessing long-term care services. Finally, workforce needs are projected to increase with the impending influx of baby boomers into retirement, making this study a timely effort at …

Fintech And Entrepreneurship: An Assessment Model To Evaluate Policy Instruments For Fintech Adoption By Small And Medium Enterprises (Smes), Deemah Abdullah Alassaf

Dissertations and Theses

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the engines that drive economic development. They are the backbone of the middle class as they provide social stability, innovation, inclusive growth, and poverty alleviation. SMEs contribute significantly to job creation, employment, tax provision and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, they face inferior conditions and challenges when it comes to their financing compared to that of large enterprises, as well as having a high expectancy of failing. Because of these limitations, SMEs tend to grow slowly since building up higher credit is difficult for them, and in addition to this, they lack access …

Frailty In End-Stage Liver Disease: Understanding Pathophysiology, Tools For Assessment, And Strategies For Management, Mazen Elsheikh, Ahmed El Sabagh, Islam B Mohamed, Megha Bhongade, Manal M Hassan, Prasun Kumar Jalal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Frailty and sarcopenia are frequently observed in patients with end-stage liver disease. Frailty is a complex condition that arises from deteriorations across various physiological systems, including the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and immune systems, resulting in a reduced ability of the body to withstand stressors. This condition is associated with declined resilience and increased vulnerability to negative outcomes, including disability, hospitalization, and mortality. In cirrhotic patients, frailty is influenced by multiple factors, such as hyperammonemia, hormonal imbalance, malnutrition, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and alcohol intake. Assessing frailty is crucial in predicting morbidity and mortality in cirrhotic patients. It can aid in making critical …

Our Community Chimes In, Corinne Bishop

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Welcome! The Journal of Graduate Librarianship’s Practitioner Panel allows us to hear directly from the graduate librarian community via social media, where we regularly post questions and invite your comments on practical issues relating to graduate librarianship. To join the conversation and share your comments about community topics, please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or X (formerly Twitter)—or keep an eye on the JGL website, where we also post all Practitioner Panel questions.

Hosting An International Graduate Student Orientation, Liza Weisbrod, Juliet T. Rumble, Adelia Grabowsky, Isabel Altamirano, Emily Sahib

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

In Fall 2022, Auburn University Libraries faculty and staff hosted an orientation event for newly arrived international graduate students. Highlights of the event included tours of major library service points, a shared meal, and a meet and greet for graduate students and subject librarians. A key takeaway for both groups was an increased awareness of the differences that exist between U.S. academic libraries and those in other countries. The authors discuss elements of the library orientation that worked well, and address lessons learned that will be used to improve future events.

Graduate Librarian At A Small University: What I’Ve Learned So Far, Christina R. Hillman

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Learning to be a graduate librarian is an ongoing process. Read about one librarian’s journey from early to mid-career graduate librarian. Lessons learned include understanding technology challenges faced by graduate students, what embedded librarianship looks like at the graduate level, and even when to break patron privacy.

Serving Graduate Students At A Community College Library, Daniel K. Blewett

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Even though a community college library rarely attempts to offer the same depth of support found at a university, it can still serve the needs of local graduate students in two ways: through the library’s core collection of print and electronic resources, and through its on-site services, spaces, and librarian expertise. Graduate students need to know that these resources are available to them. The knowledge and ability of the librarian is key to supporting this patron group. This article is informed by the author’s experiences at the College of DuPage, a large comprehensive community college in northeastern Illinois.

Leveraging Existing Services To Support Evidence Synthesis Researchers Outside Of The Health Sciences, Elizabeth Kline

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

The author presents a case study for the development of an evidence synthesis service serving researchers outside of the health sciences at a large academic library. The purpose of this project was to highlight the importance of integrating existing core services and workflows that create seamless delivery of evidence synthesis support and yield quality service. The paper provides decisions that university libraries must consider as they are planning the implementation of these services.

The research-intensive nature of evidence synthesis projects provides liaison librarians with a perfect entry to deliver high-quality and relevant services, especially to graduate students and researchers. Through …

A Two-Phase Study Examining Graduate Library Student Knowledge Gains And Perceptions Of Information Literacy Modules, Holly S. Hebert, Karen V. Nourse, Kevin S. Krahenbuhl

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

This paper reports the results of a two-phase study examining the effectiveness of a set of five online learning modules in increasing student understanding of information literacy topics. The modules were deployed within the foundational class of an online Master of Library Science program. Using Qualtrics-based surveys, Phase 1 assessed 15 students for their possible knowledge gains as well as their perceptions of their experiences with the instructional content. Through a combination of statistical and qualitative analysis, the researchers found modest knowledge gains as well as positive student perceptions of their instruction. Based upon the moderate success of Phase 1, …

More Obstacles For The Graduate Student Author: Open Access Etds Trigger Plagiarism Detectors, Dede Dawson, Kate Langrell

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Supporting graduate students as authors is one of the many services we provide at the University Library, University of Saskatchewan (USask). Graduate students often submit articles to journals based on content from their electronic theses or dissertations (ETDs). Recently, we have noticed an increase in the number of such article submissions being flagged for possible rejection on “plagiarism” or “prior publication” grounds. We suspect this may be because plagiarism detection software is increasingly being integrated into publishers’ article submission systems. This software is triggered by the existence of the student’s open access (OA) ETD in our institutional repository. This happens …

Introducing The Journal Of Graduate Librarianship, Wendy Doucette, Jill Cirasella

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Journal of Graduate Librarianship, the first professional journal dedicated solely to graduate librarianship! This issue is the culmination of a two-year effort where we discovered, often the hard way, what goes into starting an academic journal.