Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Forgiveness, Servant-Leadership, And Religious Volunteers In A Juvenile Incarceration Setting, Terri Jane Stewart

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Engaging volunteers with religious backgrounds in a juvenile incarceration setting leads to encountering white saviorism (Raypole, 2021, para. 4) and white evangelicalism as expressed through the theology of these volunteers and their racial demographic. Additionally, white evangelicalism used the language and values of Christian nationalism (Boston, 2021). Servant-leadership is an antidote to white Christian nationalism and can balance the inequalities of relationships between volunteer and incarcerated youth. Specifically, self-forgiveness as a practice of servant-leadership and of incarcerated youth can lead to healing from white Christian nationalism and healing from a criminal background.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Using Photovoice Methodology To Explore Perceptions Of Servant-Leadership During International Service-Learning, Wendy E. Walsh, Tracey E. Recigno

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Healthcare education programs are tasked to develop the leadership capacity of students in the preparation for them to become future healthcare providers who can holistically address the needs of complex communities and our society at large. Educational institutions often look to experiential learning opportunities where students can be active participants in the exploration of new leadership behaviors. In particular, service-learning experiences may help support the development of servant leadership qualities. These experiences and qualities both aid in the development of empathetic, inclusive practitioners and professions. A gap in literature exists on health profession students’ perceptions of these experiences and if …

A Journey In Servant-Leadership, Larry C. Spears

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Welcome to our 2023 edition of The International Journal of Servant-Leadership. I would like to offer my special thanks to all of our contributing authors in this journal. Each edition of IJSL contains a wonderful array of articles and papers, poetry and research, film reviews and reflections from around the world that demonstrate many remarkable journeys in servant-leadership.

Dryland Vegetation Mapping Using High Spatial-Temporal Resolution Satellite Imagery In New Mexico: A Comparison Of Phenological Time-Series Transformation Methods, Pratistha Sharma

Geography ETDs

New Mexico's drylands are undergoing notable vegetation changes due to rising aridity, higher temperatures, and shifts in precipitation with changing climate. Mapping drylands through remote sensing is challenging compared to mesic systems due to the irregular patterns of rainfall-driven phenology and weaker vegetation absorption signals. This study aims to enhance vegetation mapping in New Mexico, utilizing a high-resolution, frequently revisited PlanetScope dataset with multispectral capabilities, specifically chosen for its suitability for time-series analysis. The challenge with high spatial and temporal data lies in the overwhelming volume, leading to issues like the curse of dimensionality, overfitting, data redundancy, collinearity, and visualization …

Regulation Of Mrna And Circrna As A Cause And Consequence Of Aging In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Rebekah Napier-Jameson

Biological Sciences Theses and Dissertations

A role for RNA binding proteins in regulating lifespan has emerged. We identified a pair of neuronal RBPs, exc-7 and mbl-1, which display synthetic lifespan defects. Such a strong synthetic phenotype represented an opportunity to use transcriptomics to search for potential causative targets that are synthetically regulated. We identified a small handful of genes synthetically dysregulated in double mutants and systematically tested each candidate gene for functional contribution to the exc-7; mbl-1 lifespan phenotype. We identified one such gene, the ion transporter nhx-6, which is highly upregulated in double mutants. Overexpression of nhx-6 causes reduced lifespan, and deletion …

A Practitioner Approach To Modeling And Teaching Servant-Leadership, Rocky Wallace, Larry C. Spears

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Servant-leadership is increasingly being taught in colleges, universities, and elsewhere. Approaches to teaching vary, but often involve a combination of reading, writing, modeling and practicing it. As college professors, working primarily with graduate students, we have learned over the years that teaching servant-leadership includes a strong effort at modeling it for students. In this essay, we share our approaches in how we structure servant-leadership courses. Some elements include Community, Relevant Learning, Ethically-Driven, Coaching/Mentoring Focus, Humor, Growth over Product, and Mutual Respect of Intellectual Capital. The selection and structure of key learning materials is also a crucial aspect of teaching and …

Absolving Conflict Through Principles Of Servant-Leadership, Brandon Stoddard

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

This article explores the inevitable and unchecked conflicts that arise between people and how it can turn into unmanageable rage and harmed relationships. Both instigators and recipients of conflict are ultimately wounded by its accompanying outcomes. By sharing several examples from my life, including the threat of harm from a deadly weapon towards my three-year-old son by his uncle, I demonstrate the hurt caused by conflict and how principles of servant-leaders can help individuals restore positive associations. When faith is stronger than the bitterness and hostility that often plagues humanity, love offers a longer-term perspective thereby opening a way towards …

Servant-Leadership In Nursing Education, Kendrea Todt, Sarah Covington

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Recent changes in healthcare policy including the sentinel paper from the Institutes of Medicine, now known as the National Academy of Medicine, 2010 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health and the most recent, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity reports have demonstrated the changing role of nurses creating a growing need for nurse leaders. The healthcare industry is seeking to find a leadership style that will facilitate the goals of providing quality care in a collaborative environment. With its natural focus on service, the style of the servant-leader is one option. …

Interprofessional Perspectives On School-Wide Mental Health Interventions For Enhancing Resilience In Adolescents, Danielle Costanzo, Ms, Otr/L

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Culminating Presentations

Introduction: There is a significant crisis in adolescent mental health (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2021; Radhakrishnan et al., 2022) that have been compounded by traumatic experiences experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2022) and widespread fear of violence in schools (Silver et al., 2021). The crisis and resulting vulnerability has led to a dire need to focus on overcoming mental health challenges and moving forward in the face of adversity, which calls for a focus on resilience to promote overall life outcomes (Fenwick-Smith et al., 2019; Ijadi-Maghsoodi et al., 2022; Steiner et al., 2019). …

New Jersey’S Web-Based Parent-Engaged Developmental Monitoring Information: Mapping And Critical Appraisal, Danielle Catalano, Ms, Otr/L

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Culminating Presentations

Caregivers use web-based information to make decisions about their children’s health and development. Due to the state’s high prevalence of developmental delays, New Jersey has developed numerous web-based early childhood initiatives to promote parent engagement. However, the quality of those resources is unknown. This critical appraisal evaluated the quality, readability, and accessibility of New Jersey’s commonly used web-based information on parent-engaged developmental monitoring in children aged 0-3. A systematic web search yielded 112 results. Thirty-six webpages were reviewed by three independent reviewers using four standardized assessment tools. Reviewers found that most information was written at a twelfth-grade reading level, two …

2023 Fall - Commencement Program, Office Of The Registrar, East Tennessee State University

ETSU Commencement Ceremonies and Programs

No abstract provided.

Daily Stress And Negative Affect As Predictors Of Orthorexia Nervosa Symptoms Among College Students: Testing Direct And Moderated Associations Using Daily Diary Methodology, Sharyl Wee

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a condition involving a pathological obsession with healthy or “clean” eating (Bratman, 1997). Prevalence estimates of ON range from 35.4% to 83% in the U.S. population (Niedzielski & Kaźmierczak-Wojtás, 2021). Starting out innocuously as a habit of eating healthier foods, ON becomes socially and physically impairing when individuals spend a large amount of time and effort planning and preparing healthy meals, eventually turning into an obsession that interferes with other domains of life (Oberle et al., 2017). Although ON is not in the DSM-5, preliminary investigation has shown that it may fall on the eating disorder …

The Effects Of Full Spectrum Hemp Oil On Extinction Of Stress Enhanced Fear Learning In A Rodent Model Of Ptsd, Tiphanie Chanel

Psychology ETDs

There are only 2 FDA-approved treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) despite the overwhelming evidence of the need for safer and more effective treatments. For example, roughly 50% of treatment seeking patients with PTSD experience relief from conventional pharmaceutical medications and only one third experience full remission. The Cannabis plant is a promising novel treatment for PTSD for several reasons. The endocannabinoid system plays a role in stress, emotion, cognition, suicidal phenotypes, fear memory consolidation, retrieval and reconsolidation and extinction. Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the most widely studied phytocannabinoids found in the Cannabis plant, has both anxiolytic and antidepressant qualities. …

Community Connect: A Strategy To Mitigate The Effects Of Church Shopping On Small Urban And Rural Congregations, Jimmy Greene

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

While serving as an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, I began to realize that church shopping poses an existential worry to the survival of small churches in North America, mainly those with limited resources. The demand of some church shoppers for social amenities like indoor gyms and theater-style folding seats over personal relationship with God creates low morale for small churches, which often lack a positive response strategy.

This research study proposes a mitigating strategy, Community Connect, to address the social, psychological, missional, and ecclesiological impacts of church shopping on small churches. This socio-missiological, ecclesiological, and pedagogical approach …

Cultural Educational Narratives: An Exploration Of Latina Stories The Impact Of Cultural Educational Narratives On Decision-Making For Latinas, Marymargaret Carrillo

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of cultural educational narratives for six Latinas earning an undergraduate or graduate degree. Each Latina earned their degree from Southern Methodist University, a private university in Dallas, Texas. Specifically, this study examined the college decision-making process based on the Perna Conceptual College Choice Model. Using the lens of Intersectionality and Latino Critical Race Theory, the focus of this study is to understand the narratives shared by Latinas about the stories told to them by the Latino culture about decision-making relating to education. This study employed a qualitative research design. During the study, Latinas were interviewed …

Evaluating Hope: A Trauma-Informed Sensory Training For Early Childhood Educators, Andrea Houtras, Otd, Otr/L

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Culminating Presentations

Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences create challenges in sensory integration (Perry, 2006) impacting preschoolers’ participation and occupational performance (May-Benson, 2016). Professional development in trauma-informed sensory training is essential to support early childhood educators working with this population (Loomis, 2018; Perry, 2006).

Objectives: To develop a trauma-informed sensory training and evaluate its validity and usefulness for early childhood educators.

Methods: We used a modified Delphi method to evaluate the training’s adherence to Ayres Sensory Integration® and trauma-informed care principles of practice and usefulness for early childhood educators. A convenience sample of three expert groups reviewed the training and completed surveys to …

Deep Learning For Microbiome-Based Integrative Modeling And Microbial Biomarkers Identification, Sen Yang

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

The human microbiome, comprising trillions of microorganisms, plays a pivotal role in modulating host physiology via molecular and metabolite exchanges. One of the major challenges in this field lies in the effective integration of microbiome and metabolomics data, an achievement that holds the promise of substantially enhancing the precision of disease prediction. However, many datasets prioritize microbiome data while neglecting paired metabolome information. Additionally, the prevalent analytical tools face challenges in effectively merging these intricate datasets, leading to possible misinterpretations and reduced prediction accuracies.

To address these challenges, the first part of this research introduces the Microbiome-based Supervised Contrastive Learning …

2023 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencement on December 16.

Commencement Speaker: Keith Cronk

2023-December-16-Etsu Celebrates Class Of Fall 2023, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

East Tennessee State University celebrated more than 1,400 members of the Class of 2023 during two Commencement ceremonies held at the Ballad Health Athletic Center today.

During the morning ceremony, Dr. Jessica Burchette, associate professor of Pharmacy Practice at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, was the keynote speaker. Burchette is the 2023 recipient of the ETSU Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching, the highest teaching honor bestowed by the university.

In her remarks, Burchette provided five tips to the graduating class. Among them, she encouraged the graduates to “prioritize people” and to find ways to serve and be generous.

“When …

Wise Mind Program Evaluation, Molly Pylypciw

Psychology ETDs

Addressing adolescent mental health, especially among low-SES and racial-ethnic minority youth is imperative. This study evaluated the effectiveness and acceptability of a school-based socio-emotional learning program, called Wise Mind, delivered to a low-income, racially-ethnically diverse population. Participants (n=45 total; n = 25 intervention; n = 20 control) were ninth graders in both Special and General Education classes at a low-income racially-ethnically diverse high school in the Southwest United States. Eight one-hour sessions of Wise Mind were delivered to the intervention group over the course of eight weeks. Participants responded to questionnaires pre- and post- intervention assessing emotion regulation, mindfulness, interpersonal …

757transfamily: Empowering Parents To Raise Their Transgender Child Through Knowledge, Connection, And Joy, Jessica Gurley

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

Parents of transgender and non-binary children often want to support their children, but are not sure how. Giving these parents the support and resources they need will increase their ability to support their children, further increasing the chance that their children will live a long, healthy, authentic life.

I built a website, and organized a workshop that parents can attend in order to access information and resources about the transgender community. These parents will receive the support they need to be better equipped to support their gender-diverse children. I will be collecting information about the parents' feelings and experience towards …

Investigation Of The Effectiveness Of Intraoperative Radiotherapy In Treatment Of Unifocal Invasive Breast Cancer, Julie Schultz, Annie M. Oslund

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Objective: Assess the 5 year local recurrence rate of intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) in relation to the conventional treatment of external breast radiotherapy (EBRT) in eligible females diagnosed with breast cancer over age 40.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Methods: PubMed was searched using the following limits and terms: breast neoplasms, intraoperative radiotherapy, randomized control trial, clinical trial, females, English, and published in the last 10 years.

Results: Three studies were found to directly compare IORT and EBRT regarding 5 year local recurrence rates.

Conclusion: IORT was shown to be non-inferior to EBRT in two of the three studies that were examined; …

Shorter Duration Of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Following Second Generation Drug Eluting Stent Placement, Alexandra Coy, Caitlyn M. Murtha

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in The United States. Because advanced heart disease is often treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stent implantation, many patients will be put on dual antiplatelet therapy to prevent adverse effects such as stent thrombosis or restenosis. The purpose of this literature review is to determine if the development of second-generation drug eluting stents allows for a shorter, 6-month, duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) versus the currently recommended 12 months. The articles discussed in this review were obtained on PubMed and narrowed using search terms …

Efficacy Of Dry Cupping Therapy As Treatment For Non-Specific Lower Back Pain, Lucas Albrecht, Kelly Ettari

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

Lower back pain (LBP) is one of the most common conditions affecting adults globally. Non-specific lower back pain (NSLBP) is a diagnosis based on the exclusion of other pathoanatomical causes, and accounts for over 80% of cases of LBP. 1 Current treatments typically involve a multidisciplinary approach. Dry cupping therapy is a noninvasive treatment option that is used to treat musculoskeletal pain. 2 Three studies were analyzed which assess the utility of dry cupping therapy as a treatment modality for non-acute NSLBP; two of the studies were randomized control trials, and the third was a small pilot study. All three …

Efficacy Of The Hepatojugular Reflux Test, Adrienne Irmiter, Cheyanne Dolan, Sarah Edrington

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

No abstract provided.

Are Lidocaine Infusions The Future Of Chronic Pain?, Clara Gilbert, Hayley Loos

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

No abstract provided.

Can A Healthy High Fat Diet Improve Fatigue Symptoms In Patients With Relapse And Remitting Multiple Sclerosis?, Sarah Von Euler, Elizabeth Henry

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

No abstract provided.

Looking To The Future: Vitamin E Infused Highly Cross-Linked Polyethylene Acetabular Cups, Melissa Hango, Sarah Sutter Kaufmann

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2020-current

No abstract provided.

Green Is The New Black: Exploring How A Philosophical Approach To The Fashion Industry Will Reduce Its Environmental Impact, Darion A. Gibbs

Student Theses and Dissertations

The fashion industry is the third largest contributor to pollution globally, behind only oil and agriculture. It also accounts for one-fifth of the plastic produced annually. Despite its impact, it is hard to trace accountability. For example, mega-retailers often outsource production to developing countries, without strong structures of accountability for their environmental impact. In addition, companies often claim to be environmentally sustainable, but it is easy to inflate the truth, and entities designed to protect consumers have limited enforcement. In this context, who should be held responsible for the fashion industry’s contribution to climate change?

In response, this thesis delves …

Creating Space For Black Queer Narratives: A Conversation Between Nella Larsen And James Baldwin, Trinity L. Hollis

Student Theses and Dissertations

My project seeks to use the fiction of James Baldwin and Nella Larsen to understand how queerness interacts with race, namely Black identity. I’m guided by Black feminist thought to consider themes of intersectionality, the notion that all aspects of identity are experienced simultaneously. This thesis makes an effort not to alienate one identity from another; the literature that I’m close reading is proof that Blackness and queerness inform each other.