Digital Commons Network^™

Confocal Analysis Of Sindbis Virus In Aedes Aegypti Unveils Novel Infection Site At Pyloric Armature, Katie Gillian Peters

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as Sindbis virus (SINV), generate foci of infection within the midgut of viremic blood-fed mosquitoes. Arboviruses can disseminate out of the midgut into the surrounding musculature and hemolymph, eventually making it to the salivary glands where virus can be transmitted by saliva during a subsequent blood-feed. In this study, the virus SINV containing the reporter gene GFP, combined with immunohistochemistry, was imaged using confocal microscopy and used to evaluate the infection within the vector mosquito Aedes aegypti. The spatial distribution of SINV infection revealed two common characteristics of foci generated in the midgut. (1) There …

Analysis Of Underwater Noise Due To Pile Driving In Florida Using Individual Hammer Blows, Consolatha Constantine Mushi

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the potential impact on marine organisms of sound waves generated by pile driving has become a growing concern. Previous research in this field has predominantly relied upon single-strike averages to analyze underwater sound data. However, it was unclear from these analyses if or how much attenuation may vary during typical pile drives. This study involved collecting sound data from multiple locations during a given pile driving operation at the same time and used these data to analyze sound decay from each hammer blow individually. In addition to this, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to better understand …

The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals Seeking Mental Health Treatment, Brice T. Marks

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) individuals are underserved in communities despite experiencing disproportionately higher rates of mental health distress. The cisheteronomativity of society creates chronic stressors that impact the mental health outcomes of TGD individuals. TGD individuals face the highest rates of discrimination in healthcare settings. Yet, little is known about the population's specific experiences seeking mental health care. Using a phenomenological approach, this study interviewed eight TGD individuals to understand the experience of seeking mental health care. There were six themes: facilitation of seeking behaviors, barriers, type of care, characteristics of providers, identity disclosure, and burden of advocacy and …

The Paradox Of "Sad Girl" Music, Amelia Wang

Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize

This research paper will assess the representations of female vulnerability and trauma in “sad girl” music and listeners’ role in maintaining the commodification of femininity, trauma, and marginalized experiences. To achieve the aforementioned goals, postfeminism and enlightened sexism will be introduced as frameworks to assess musical works within the “sad girl” music genre. Specifically, the musical works of Lana Del Rey and Phoebe Bridgers, prominent artists in the “sad girl” music genre, will be analyzed under postfeminism and enlightened sexism frameworks to reveal nuanced contributions these representations have in today’s feminist discourse, both positive and negative. “Sad girl” music’s intended …

Is It Really #Bodypositive? Examining The Effectiveness Of The Body Positivity Movement On Tiktok, Nina Todreas

Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize

The rest of this paper will be devoted to the analysis of certain TikTok content that promotes diet culture and two of the most popular self-described body positivity influencers on the app. Through this analysis, I will attempt to show that the body positivity movement on the platform is insincere and thus ineffective because, in addition to the movement being dominated by conventionally attractive individuals, there exists a conflict of interest in which, given their popularity on the app, these body positive activist influencers are profiting off of the movement.

Forging A Liaison Team For The Future Through Renewed Onboarding Practices, Bettina Peacemaker, Emily Hurst

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Welcoming new employees is one of the most important jobs of a manager, but it is not an easy one. Guidance from the literature specific to academic liaison librarian onboarding is minimal and fails to address current workforce and workplace realities. This poster will explore how a team of liaison librarian managers used reflective and informed feedback to build a strong onboarding process to successfully welcome eight liaisons in two years and detail how the managers recently renewed their onboarding process to account for new, hybrid work environments and prepare new liaisons for the future of work in academia.

Moving Between Entitlement And Co-Conspiracy: A Study Of How Support, Skills, And Community Can Advance Anti-Racism Efforts Of White Parents, Karin Marianne Cotterman

Doctoral Dissertations

Many white parents of white children (WPWC) do not know how to engage in conversations about race and racism with their children. Simultaneously, the lived realities of white identity are embodied and enacted in material and cultural terms in the lives of all white-identified folk who continue to be re-socialized into our dominant culture of white supremacy. As such, racism and white supremacy are taught through socialization via media, schooling, familial relationships and other social interactions (Harro, 2000). And as a result, whiteness and white supremacy are pervasive and endemic (Bell 2016; Delgado, & Stefanick, 2012; Ladson-Billings 2013, 2016; Ladson-Billings …

Meta-Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Project-Based Learning Approach On Academic Achievement In Higher Education Worldwide, Ziyu Meng

Doctoral Dissertations

This research study conducted a meta-analysis to integrate the studies that investigated the effectiveness of project-based learning on academic achievement based on a worldwide higher-education population. The researcher explored the variables that previous meta-analysis studies used to evaluate academic achievements, such as student grade point average (GPA), course grades, and test scores, to explore the use of these variables in project-based learning. There were 17 studies in total included in the meta-analysis evaluating the effect size of academic achievement, which was influenced in moderator variable by subject-matter areas, school location, hours of instruction, technology support, and group size. The researcher …

We Are Still Playing: A Meta-Analysis Of Game-Based Learning In Mathematics Education, Thomas Conmy

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effectiveness of the use of games as part of mathematics instruction on academic achievement in grades Kindergarten to 12 in the United States. There were 17 studies selected for investigation published from 2010 to 2023 that focused on game-based learning and mathematics. This meta-analysis fills the gap in the knowledge by examining classes that are using game based learning across three platforms of instruction: nondigital games, digital on computers, and mobile devices. The findings from this meta-analysis suggest that the usage of game-based learning in a classroom has a positive effect …

A Brief History Of Alpha Delta Omega Chapter Of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (1927 – 2019), Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Delta Omega Chapter

Alpha Delta Omega Chapter History

No abstract provided.

Remote Justice & Domestic Violence: Process Pluralism Lessons From The Pandemic, Andrea K. Schneider, Heather Hlavka, Sameena Mulla, Erin Schubert, Aleksandra J. Snowden, Jennica Webster

Articles

Domestic violence procedures, like so many court processes around the world, were forced to go online and remote during the pandemic. The impact was dramatic-there were fewer restraining order petitions filed in the first place and an even lower amount granted. In short, domestic violence survivors, among the most vulnerable in our court system, were even more challenged in the last two years. Like many court systems, Milwaukee will never go back to being fully in-person for all procedures in conjunction with domestic violence. The evolving hybrid choices could provide additional access to justice, or these processes could create additional …

Improving Communication Between The Emergency Department And Prehospital Emergency Medical Services Through The Use Of A Secure Messaging Application: A Quality Improvement Project, Jacob G. Petlon

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Communication between emergency medical services (EMS) and the emergency department (ED) is a key part of treating patients being transported by ambulance. This communication is moving away from traditional radio and cell phone calls to the use of secure text-based apps. These apps can generate metrics and provide real time location information that is not available using traditional methods. Increased use of these apps can improve communication between EMS and receiving EDs.

Local Problem: Wildcat hospital introduced the EMS communication app Twiage in May of 2023. There is low utilization of the app and some EMS and ED …

Establishing A Protocol To Address Workplace Violence And Increase The Perceptions Of Safety Among Emergency Department Nurses: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Devan M. Robidoux

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Violence against emergency department nurses has become a widespread phenomenon that can greatly impact a nurse's job satisfaction and performance. Research has been scarce in examining the relationship between workplace violence and its underlying consequences. There remains a disconnect between precursors of violence against nurses perpetrated by patients and the cultural expectation that violence is a part of the nurses job and, subsequently, what they signed up for when going into the field. Nurses learn that having a greater understanding of the value in the lived experience of their patients leads to better quality delivery of care. However, culturally …

Reducing Violence In The Workplace: A Quality Improvement Project, Molly Mcqueeney

Master's Theses and Capstones

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Violence in the United States has significant impacts on the healthcare system. On average, there are about 7.8 per 1,000 workers yearly that experience violent injuries (Grossman & Choucair, 2019). In 2016, it was estimated that approximately $429 million was added to treat and prevent injuries to healthcare workers (Grossman & Choucair, 2019). By implementing the Broset Violence Checklist (BVC) as a screening tool for early identification of risk for violence, there is a possibility for a reduction in the number of violent occurrences in the workplace.

LOCAL PROBLEM: Within the given microsystem, there is a lack of …

Registered Nurse Competencies And The Implementation Of Self-Care Interventions Among Surgical Patients With Type Two Diabetes: A Quality Improvement Project, Elizabeth Fossum

Master's Theses and Capstones

Background: Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires a holistic approach, an in-depth understanding of self-care, education comprehension, and an effective relationship between healthcare professionals and the individual patient (Saeed et al., 2018). Due to a variety of factors such as increased nurse-to-patient ratios, inconsistent education methods, and limited confidence levels among registered nurses, important treatment measures and discussion of one’s T2DM diagnoses are often not addressed. Initiatives to improve education methods and nursing confidence levels will create more effective treatment measures and discharge education. Local Problem: Registered nurses spend minimal time educating patients on the severity of …

Activism As Leadership: Supporting Progressive Activists Within Our Work, S. Gavin Weiser

Faculty Publications - College of Education

This empirical work is driven by a study on the experiences and motivation of a group of college-aged student activists. Using a cohort of 14 millennial-aged activists who organized their work in response to a rise of right-wing authoritarianism in national and state politics, this paper presents recommendations for how student affairs professionals working in activities-oriented functional areas can leverage these experiences to build capacity around engagement, leadership development, sense of belonging, and work in partnership with these communities to challenge unjust practices within the academy. Further, I argue that in order to do our work of supporting students in …

Gnss-Based Accurate One-Way Latency Characterization Of Transcontinental And Transoceanic Internet Paths, Lizhi Xu

Master's Theses and Capstones

One-way latency is a non-trivial aspect of network quality that can reveal more about network performance than other quantities that are easier to measure. One-way latency is the amount of time from transmission of a packet along a network path to its reception. To measure one-way latency, transmission and reception times must be measured in the same time base. Thus the most important precondition for accurate one-way latency measurement is time synchronization between the transmitting and receiving nodes on the network.

Our research is designing a feasible method for measuring accurate one-way latencies using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). …

The Relationship Between Isolation And Social Emotional Experiences In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Jana Arslan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Children with ASD often face socioemotional challenges compared to their typical developing classmates (Chamberlain et al., 2006; Deckers et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2021; Locke et al, 2010; Zeedyk et al., 2015). The objective of the current study was to assess the relationship between classroom isolation and social emotional experiences (i.e., social isolation, loneliness, self-efficacy with peers, and friendship quality) in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through self-report surveys in order to foster the best possible academic environment for children with ASD to succeed and create outlets for further research to be developed in regards to this subject. …

Establishing A Volunteer Group To Assist In The Eradication Of Invasive Brown Treesnakes From Islan Dåno' (Cocos Island), Guam, Martin Kastner, Olympia Terral

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Islan Dåno’ (Cocos Island) is an islet of high conservation value located 2.5 km off Guam, USA, in the Western Pacific. It has long been considered free from invasive brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis; BTS). A recently confirmed breeding population of BTS puts its wildlife populations, including U.S. Endangered Species Act-listed lizard and bird species, at risk. In response, we established Guam’s first volunteer group dedicated to BTS eradication, which we named Friends of Islan Dåno’. We provided training to local volunteer snake searchers and organized regular night searches for BTS on Islan Dåno’. We completed 25 searches between …

Perfectionism And Psychological Well-Being In Sport And Performance Psychology Professionals, Kaytlyn M. Johnson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sport and performance psychology (SPP) professionals working in performance-enhancement training, counseling/clinical psychology, academia, and the military, face various work demands that can lead to chronic stress and impaired well-being (McCormack, 2019). Perfectionism is a multi-dimensional personality trait in which an individual sets excessively high personal standards of performance (Burns, 1980; Frost et al., 1990; Hamachek, 1978; Hewitt & Flett, 1990). While striving for high standards is not necessarily a negative trait, perfectionism is not considered a healthy pursuit of excellence, rather a “compulsive drive to achieve flawlessness” (Burns, 1980, p. 38). Given that SPP professionals’ responsibilities are to help athletes …

Decision Making Related To Situations When Sexual Violence Might Occur, Shakeia Salem

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The definition of sexual violence has changed over the years to include all unconsented sexual contact. Sexual violence is a global issue targeting young, college-aged adults. We used hypothetical scenarios to determine the discounting rates of participants in situations where sexual violence might occur. Undergraduate students (n = 146; mean age 20.18 years) from Georgia Southern University participated in our study. The sample of participants included 116 (79.45%) females and 30 (20.55%) males, identifying as White (n = 85; 58.22%), Hispanic (n = 5; 3.42%), Black (n = 28; 19.18%), Asian (n = 1; .68%), …

Human–Alligator Incidents In The United States: Risky Human Behaviors Cause Most “Attacks”, Mark S. Teshera, Azar Kordbacheh, Frank J. Mazzotti

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Interactions between humans and American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), often resulting in negative outcomes for both participants, have occurred for centuries in the United States. As both populations increased over time, contact and conflict with one another became inevitable. Although human–alligator conflicts have been well documented, there has been no detailed classification of risk factors associated with human activities immediately preceding, and in most cases precipitating, an encounter. Herein, we provide a ranking system to categorize different human activities, based on risk levels, immediately preceding an encounter with an alligator. To complete our review in 2021, we initially gleaned …

Middle Savannah River: An A/R/Tographic Ecopedagogical Ethnography Experimenting With Rhizomatic Perspectives, Lisa Augustine-Chizmar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This research is an experiment in perspective. Using the four commonplaces (Schwab, 1978), I practiced letting the Savannah River teach me what there is to know about the water, the land, the people, and the other entities that depend on ki through artistic, ethnographic, and ecopedagogical lenses. The ethnographic findings describe the social actors that depend on ki and give a voice to the River. The a/r/tographic findings display the River on a canvas map through two hundred years using paint, clay, photography, video, abstract acrylics, and fabric. Together, these methods contribute to a unique ecopedagogical journey. This word cloud …

Asiatic Black Bear Microsite Selection In A Human-Dominated Landscape In The Central Alps, Japan: Implications For Mitigating Human–Bear Conflicts, Tomoki Mori, Shigeyuki Izumiyama

Human–Wildlife Interactions

With the rapid expansion of human development and associated changes in landscape use, opportunities for human land sharing with large mammalian carnivores, such as those belong to the family Ursidae is increasing, especially in human-dominated landscapes. Consequently, this increased coexistence has also led to an increase in human–bear (Ursus spp.) interactions. It is important to understand the spatial and temporal reactions (e.g., interactions between cover, time, and humans) of bears to mitigate human–bear conflicts and facilitate coexistence. However, managers often need better information regarding bear microsite habitat selection in areas with higher levels of human–bear encounter risks. We explored …

Examining Second-Year Retention: Student Perceptions Of Campus Resources For Sophomores, Theresa Rose Duggar

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions sophomore students at one public, southeastern doctoral research university had regarding campus resources and the potential impact on their decision to remain enrolled. Using a transcendental phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted individual semi-structured interviews to identify resources four students perceived to have played a role in their retention choices. In addition to the data collected from the student experiences, a review of social media and the student newspaper was conducted. An analysis revealed two themes that impacted students’ decisions: faculty and staff relationships and academic and co-curricular involvement. Findings align with the current literature, …

Exploring A Culturally Relevant/Responsive/Sustaining Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum: An Ethnographic Inquiry, Lucia Benzor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is an ethnographic inquiry in which I explore the third-grade social studies curriculum in my classroom, specifically using culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining pedagogy and students’ funds of knowledge (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005) and their learning interests to teach the Native American unit to promote their academic achievement in, cultural competence and critical consciousness for, the histories of the United States. It was my own miseducation about the history of the United States and its Indigenous Peoples, as well as my own lack of knowledge of my Indigenous ancestors from Mexico, that I became passionate about exploring this topic. Theoretically, …

Synthesis And Processing Of Pcl And Irdye Nanoparticles For Application In Drug Release Mechanism, Michael Adeniyi

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study is to produce core-shell nanoparticles utilizing PCL and IRDye and investigate the nanoparticle release mechanism. Biodegradable polymer, Polycaprolactone (PCL), was electrosprayed separately with two types of IRDye, NHS and Dextran Texas red. The solution of PCL was formed by mixing PCL in a solution of 9.47ml Acetic Acid, 9.47ml Formic Acid, and 1.05ml Trifluoroethanol, following a ratio of 9:9:1. The two solutions of IRDye were prepared by mixing 2mg of the IRdye with 20ml of DMF at a rate of 0.1mg/ml.

The NHS IRDye was electrosprayed coaxially with PCL and the Dextran Texas red dye …

Promoting The Positive: A Case Study Of The Influence Of School Climate On One Turnaround School From 2016-2022, Cynthia Gunner

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Schools across the country are finding various means to address the social realities that often exist in high poverty schools. School climate is one of those social realities. While there is research related to school climate in high poverty schools, there are limited case studies related to this subject. This qualitative case study examined how one elementary school was transformed by creating a positive school climate between 2016-2022. This study also explored the impact that the pandemic and subsequent school lockdown had on the newly established school climate. Findings from this study indicated that PF Elementary School established a positive …

Sense Of Belonging On A Consolidated Campus: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Student Perceptions, Amy D. Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the extent to which a subset of students who matriculated post-consolidation at the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University felt they belong at their institution. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study used a survey to examine general feelings of belonging and the influencing factors for belonging while presenting individual narratives collected from semi-structured interviews for eight students’ experiences. The data collected in this study revealed that significant differences exist in critical factors of sense of belonging based on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity. Additionally, data showed the importance of academic, social, and campus-community belonging …

“My Ob/Gyn Has The Worst Bedside Manner…” A Qualitative Analysis Of Patient-Provider Communication And Mental Health Outcomes Of Women In Rural Georgia, Tobi F. Oloyede

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Despite technological advances in medicine and public health innovations, maternal mortality in the United States remains significantly higher than in other developed countries. Specifically, Georgia ranks as the second worst place to give birth in the country. Maternal mental health conditions are common, manageable complications that can happen at any point during pregnancy, childbirth, or in the first year following delivery, with 1 in 5 women affected. Unfortunately, 75% of women who experience MMH symptoms are left untreated.

This study focuses on patient-provider communication through the birthing experiences of women who have been pregnant in Georgia to examine how their …