Digital Commons Network^™

Survival Rates And Clinical Trial Participation Among Rural Cancer Patients, Tatiana Kurilo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literature indicates that cancer patients in rural areas lack adequate access to clinical trials and may experience more harmful consequences than patients residing in urban areas. The purpose of the study was to compare cancer survival rates among patients living in rural and urban counties in a southeastern U.S. state with breast cancer and lung cancer. Analysis was conducted using secondary data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program tumor registry, Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) tumor registry, and CCC OnCore Subject Accrual Data. A series of independent samples t-tests and factorial ANOVA were conducted …

Relationship Between Homelessness, Substance Use, Employment, Living On A Reservation And Tuberculosis Among Northern Plains Native Americans, Darla Mccloskey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Americans in the Northern Plains have a long history of tuberculosis (TB) infections. There is limited research on the causes of latent TB infections (LTBI) and TB in this population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between latent TB and factors of homelessness, substance use, employment, living on a reservation, and active or latent TB among this population using the eco-social theory as the theoretical framework. Data from 146 TB cases of Native Americans living in the Northern Plains and diagnosed with TB from 1999 to 2019 were analyzed using chi-square tests that showed …

Influence Of Conspiracy Mindset, Trust In Science, And Political Affiliation On Covid-19 Reactance, Bonnie L. Rinato

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed extreme divisions in the social and political structure of the United States. When health organizations recommended strategies such as physical distancing, hand hygiene, sanitation of surfaces, and isolating when sick to slow the spread of the disease, Americans appeared to divide into two factions; those who followed the public health guidance and those who persistently ignored it, often voicing perceptions of loss of freedom due to the guidance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the extent to which political affiliation moderated the relationship between conspiracy mindset, trust in science, and reactance responses to …

Perceptions And Experiences Of The Benefits Of Premarital Counseling Among African American Couples, Evelyn N. Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have conducted studies on the benefits of premarital counseling. However, little was known about the experiences of African American couples. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore African American couples’ perceptions and experiences concerning the benefits of premarital counseling. Social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with eight heterosexual African American couples. Colaizzi’s seven-step method of coding was used to analyze participants’ responses. Four themes emerged: couples’ expectations of premarital counseling, influences regarding participation, quality and structure of sessions, and overall experience. Findings could impact social change by …

Effects Of Social Determinants On Access To Care Among Patients With Diabetes In Florida, Nekeisha Latoya Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes imposes a major burden on society, especially in the state of Florida, in the form of increased medical costs, lost productivity, early mortality, and intangible costs in the form of diminished quality of life. Access to diabetic care affects health administration in Florida by impacting the overall cost of treating the condition. Limited access to care can lead to an increased risk of complications resulting in a higher cost of treatment. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether access to care dependent variables (access to doctors and length of time since last routine checkup) were associated …

Risk Factors Influencing Poliomyelitis Seroprevalence In Polio High Risk Areas Of Afghanistan, Wasan Abdulaziz Al-Tamimi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Afghanistan is one of the remaining polio endemic countries in the world. Nearly one million children under 5 years of age have missed polio vaccination in Afghanistan from May 2018 until January 2021. This quantitative study used the socioecological model as the theoretical framework and secondary data analysis of the 2020 polio serosurvey (N = 1384) to investigate various risk factors such as gender, parental education, family origin (language/location), wealth, distance to nearest health facility, and number of polio vaccine doses on the level of antibodies (i.e., seroprevalence) against all three types of polioviruses in children of two age groups, …

Elementary Administrators' Perspectives And Experiences Of Supporting Students Through Nature-Based Learning, Amanda Marie Shelley Degoede

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although nature-based learning (NBL) contributes to the development of students, itsinclusion in elementary schools is inconsistent. Researchers have established the benefits of nature to learning and child development, yet there is a gap in the literature on elementary administrators’ perspectives of and experiences with NBL. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore elementary administrators’ perspectives of and experiences with NBL, its support of elementary student development, and its inclusion in elementary schools’ curricula and design. The research questions addressed elementary administrators’ perspectives of and experiences with NBL, how NBL supports student development, and how NBL is included in …

Risk Factors Influencing Poliomyelitis Seroprevalence In Polio High Risk Areas Of Afghanistan, Wasan Abdulaziz Al-Tamimi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Afghanistan is one of the remaining polio endemic countries in the world. Nearly one million children under 5 years of age have missed polio vaccination in Afghanistan from May 2018 until January 2021. This quantitative study used the socioecological model as the theoretical framework and secondary data analysis of the 2020 polio serosurvey (N = 1384) to investigate various risk factors such as gender, parental education, family origin (language/location), wealth, distance to nearest health facility, and number of polio vaccine doses on the level of antibodies (i.e., seroprevalence) against all three types of polioviruses in children of two age groups, …

Mediators Between Job Stress And Health Quality Of Life Among Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Aida M. Benitez-Rexach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal affliction that affects millions around the globe, impacting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The biopsychosocial model, Folkman and Lazarus’ transactional model of stress, Leventhal’s common sense model of self-regulation health and illness, and Bronfenbrenner’s human ecology theory are relevant to conceptualize interactions among environmental factors, biopsychosocial responses, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This quantitative, cross-sectional, complex correlational study sought to provide more understanding of how and whether IBS symptoms of pain, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal functioning serve as mediators between work stress and HRQoL. A total of 133 English-speaking volunteers from …

Public Policy And African American Victims Of Inner-City Violence, Michael Andrew Benson Sr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of being victimized or being a witness to a violent traumatic event without the support of public institutions, such as criminal justice, social service agencies, and mental health care clinics has led to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers and success factors for victims of inner-city violence as it related to access to public administration institutions to address their victimization. Self-efficacy theory was used as the theoretical foundation, and the study’s research question focused on victimization and access to public policy institutions. The study used a qualitative design with 10 …

Experiences Of Non-Tenured African American Female Nursing Faculty At Predominately White Institutions, Allison R. Bethune

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The proportionally fewer female African American nursing faculty at predominately White institutions (PWIs) have frequently reported adverse employment conditions in academia. The faculty within nursing schools at PWIs does not reflect society’s diversity. The problem addressed through this study is the low number of female African American nursing faculty in PWIs. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the experiences of non-tenured female African American nursing faculty at PWIs. The conceptual framework that informed this study is Crenshaw’s intersectionality. The research question addressed the experiences of non-tenured female African American nursing faculty at PWIs. Six non-tenured female …

Nurses' Lived Experiences Caring For Covid-19 Patients In The United States, Cynthia Rose Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected healthcare services and delivery and may leave unprecedented effects on nurses’ physical and mental health. Research is sparse on the pandemic’s effects on nurses, but studies have identified the stressful factors that may contribute to nurses’ health and well-being. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in the United States and discover how their experiences impact them on a personal and professional level. Hans Selye’s general adaptation theory served as the theoretical basis for this study with Edmund Husserl’s life worldview used …

Preschool Teachers’ And Parents’ Perspectives Regarding Factors That Affect Kindergarten Readiness, Ebony Catrice Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When children enter kindergarten, they are expected to demonstrate an interrelated set of skills and competencies including pre-academic skills, cognitive abilities, socioemotional well-being, and physical health. The problem that was the focus of this study was that many students who complete prekindergarten are not ready for kindergarten. Guided by Garcia’s kindergarten readiness framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to increase understanding of the perspectives of parents and prekindergarten teachers regarding their role in developing kindergarten readiness, and the factors they believe support or hinder their efforts. Eight prekindergarten teachers and 8 parents of prekindergarten students from one …

The Perceived Impact Of Childbirth Related Ptsd And Maternal Bonding, Sheila Baez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChildbirth has been increasingly viewed as a potentially traumatic event and process impacting both mother and infant. Previous research on childbirth has concentrated on the development of postpartum depression and its impact; research on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth has been limited. However, the results of this research study suggested that the development of childbirth-related PTSD may be a far more common phenomenon than previously suggested. Bowlby’s attachment theory and Ainsworth’s further development and expansion of the theory served as a framework which investigated the experiences of 10 biological females, aged 21 and over previously diagnosed with PTSD after …

Best Practice Strategies To Prevent Suicide In Behavioral Health, David Solomon Gamble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe capacity for mental health clinicians to provide culturally relevant suicide prevention services has become an issue within current society, given the complexity and impact of the circumstances that have disrupted everyday life. Thus, this became a problem for the organization and the target population used for this study. The current capacity of leadership and clinicians who provided prevention services was developed to address the underlying mental health disorders and not directly address the environmental impact. The approach for the study adhered to Yin's work on case studies. The case study research provided the process and outcome data by introducing …

Social Work's Unremitting Identity Crisis: Can The Dsw Provide Answers?, Debra Joyce Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study is centered on a long-standing professional identity dilemma that poses potential problems for the future of the field of social work. Current literature points to specific shortcomings in the field that threaten the future of the profession. Some researchers also suggest that the reemergence of the Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) may be used to solve some of the identity concerns with the profession. The study further asserts that practicing licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) have not been a part of the conversation regarding the identity issues or the remedies that the field is considering. Using both a …

Associations Of Stress, Health Behaviors, And Obesity Among African American Immigrants, Wole David Akinsola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractObesity has been identified as a predisposing factor that poses a serious threat for the development of chronic diseases and contributes to health disparities affecting both minority and vulnerable populations. Though previous studies reported the association of stress with health status and behavior, there is little or no research on the heterogeneity of obesity predictors in specific minority populations in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of obesity among adult African American immigrant populations in the United States. Studying obesity in this population may help policymakers tailor interventions that could reduce obesity prevalence. …

Educating Oncology Nurses On Identifying And Managing Cancer-Related Distress, Rosemary Vivella Irish

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractUp to 50% of patients diagnosed with cancer will experience significant levels of distress. Cancer is related to psychological distress and can negatively impact recovery from surgery, increase treatment side effects, and decrease overall quality of life. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommended screening for distress as part of comprehensive cancer care. In the practice setting, there was a need for better assessment of distress in cancer patients. The purpose of this staff education project was to address a gap in practice regarding the lack of knowledge of screening for distress by providing education to oncology nurses on how to …

Strategies To Increase Emergency Department Patient Flow, Judith Faith Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOvercrowding in emergency departments (EDs) is a systemic issue, resulting in inefficiencies affecting patient care quality. Hospital leaders struggle with reducing bottlenecks in EDs and providing a better patient care experience. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies used to reduce inefficiencies in EDs. The participants included five directors, administrators, and clinical managers from a hospital ED in Idaho Falls, Idaho, who successfully used strategies to reduce inefficiencies in EDs. Data were analyzed from semistructured interviews and a review of organization documents and artifacts following Yin’s five-step data analysis …

Enhancement Of Developmental Defects In The Boron-Deficient Maize Mutant Tassel-Less1 By Reduced Auxin Levels, Michaela S. Matthes, Norman B. Best, Janlo M. Robil, Paula Mcsteen

Biology Faculty Publications

Background

Plant responses to deficiencies of the micronutrient boron are diverse and go beyond the well-characterized function of boron in cell wall crosslinking. To explain these phenotypic discrepancies, hypotheses about interactions of boron with various phytohormones have been proposed, particularly auxin. While these hypotheses are intensely tested in the root meristem of the model species, Arabidopsis thaliana, studies in crop species and the shoot are limited.

Aims

To address potential boron–auxin interactions during the vegetative and reproductive development of the crop maize (Zea mays), we utilized the boron-deficient tassel-less1 (tls1) mutant and the auxin-deficient vanishing tassel2 (vt2) mutant. We investigated …

Growth And Whole-Body Proximate Composition Of Oreochromis Niloticus Nile Tilapia Fed Pea Meal: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Tzodoq Obrero Magbanua, Janice A. Ragaza

Biology Faculty Publications

One of the most widely cultivated species in the aquaculture sector is the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). However, the rising price of fishmeal has a huge impact on its market value. Proteins derived from plants have been used to address the issue. In this study, systematic review and meta-analysis were used to quantitatively analyze the whole-body composition and growth of Nile tilapia fed pea meal. Based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis methods, the literature review and paper selection were completed. Meta-analysis was performed on the data from peer-reviewed studies that met the inclusion …

Defining And Exploring Animal Sentience, Andrew N. Rowan, Joyce M. D'Silva Mrs, Ian J.H. Duncan, Nicholas Palmer

Animal Sentience

One of the commentaries on the target article notes that "animal sentience" is difficult to define operationally. This response to the commentaries develops a working, usable definition of animal sentience and examines the relationships between animal emotions and sentience.

Overtourism In Dichotomies: Uncovering Dynamic And Non-Dynamic Costs And Benefits In Three Tourism Destinations, Aarash Baktash

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The phenomenon of overtourism, characterized by its multifaceted impacts on destinations, has emerged as a major concern in the tourism industry. This dissertation aims to explore the dynamics of overtourism, emphasizing the dual impacts of main-source tourism markets on destinations in terms of their economic, social, and environmental consequences. Unlike existing literature, which focuses primarily on the negative aspects of overtourism, the present study illustrates the nuanced interaction between tourism markets by highlighting both their potential benefits and disadvantages. This study offers an in-depth analysis of cost and benefit factors based on a priori and a posteriori segmentation methodologies, combined …

Role Of Vitamin D, Folate, And Cobalamin Deficiency In Mycobacterium Avium Paratuberculosis Infection And Inflammation, Joseph Vaccaro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Vitamin D, folate, and cobalamin (vitamin B12) are crucial micronutrients in human physiology that are necessary for healthy calcium, phosphorus, and single-carbon metabolism. Recent studies have indicated that these vitamins also affect the inflammatory response in ways unrelated to their well-characterized deficiencies. Accordingly, analysis of their effect on chronic inflammatory diseases like Crohn's disease (CD) is warranted. This investigation examines the effects of vitamin deficiency on macrophages and intestinal epithelial cells upon exposure to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP,) a pathogen capable of triggering CD, to model the inflammatory response in clinical CD patients. ELISA analysis of CD patient plasma established …

Host Cell Responses Modulate Oncolytic Viral Treatment Of Neuroblastoma Cells, Kritika Kedarinath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Neuroblastoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer that is poorly responsive to traditional cancer therapies. Oncolytic viral (OV) vectors such as Zika virus (ZIKV) and Parainfluenza virus type 5 (P/V virus) are promising neuroblastoma therapeutics, but the role of innate immune responses in the effectiveness of OV killing is not well understood. Previous studies showed the neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-AS (expressing low CD24) had low permissivity for ZIKV infection, and this restriction was relieved by ectopic CD24 expression (CD24-high cells). Compared to permissive CD24-high cells, the non-permissive CD24-low cells had elevated basal levels of IRF-1, NF?B and phosphorylated STAT1; these cells …

The Associations Among Racial Discrimination, Perceived Stress And Birth Satisfaction Among Black Women, Amanda De La Serna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this dissertation research was to examine the associations among experiences of racial discrimination, perceived stress and birth satisfaction among Black women, and to examine the mediating effect of perceived stress on the association of experiences of racial discrimination with birth satisfaction among Black women. The first manuscript is an integrative literature review which evaluates prior research of the association of stress with birth satisfaction, with consideration to studies that included Black women in their samples. This review revealed a need for further research evaluating stress and birth satisfaction specific to Black women. The second manuscript examines the …

Application Of Mixture Models For Doubly Inflated Count Data, Monika Arora, N. Rao Chaganty

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

In health and social science and other fields where count data analysis is important, zero-inflated models have been employed when the frequency of zero count is high (inflated). Due to multiple reasons, there are scenarios in which an additional count value of k > 0 occurs with high frequency. The zero- and k-inflated Poisson distribution model (ZkIP) is more appropriate for such situations. The ZkIP model is a mixture distribution with three components: degenerate distributions at 0 and k count and a Poisson distribution. In this article, we propose an alternative and computationally fast expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm to obtain the parameter …

Analysis Of Multi-Drug Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Using Split Deoxyribozymes, Abryana Fergus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Globally, tuberculosis, a disease caused by the species of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) complex, stands as a leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Even though antituberculous drugs are available, treatment is challenging due to antibiotic resistance associated with point mutations in the bacterial genome. Resistance to the first-line antibiotics – rifampin and isoniazid – results in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR) requiring a more complicated treatment regimen. Timely and accurate identification of drug-resistant TB cases can help prescribe the most effective treatment and prevent the spread of infection. This research aims to develop an assay to discern multi-drug resistant forms …

A Developmental Investigation Of Separation And Analysis Of Molecular Mass 302 Da Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Chiral Stationary Phase, James Janesko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

High molecular weight – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAH) are often found where air, water, and soil are subject to higher levels of industrial pollutants. These molecules are environmentally concerning due to their carcinogenic, mutagenic, and tumorigenic propensities. Furthermore, the isomers in this family are challenging to separate due to similar retention parameters, spectroscopic fingerprints, and mass spectral patterns. The primary purpose of this dissertation is to expand on the methodology for separation and analysis of the molecular mass 302 Da six-ring isomers using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Retention behaviors of 21 commercially available isomers in synthetic mixture were collected via …

Defining Sober Harms And Factors That Influence Them: Blame It On The Alcohol?, Jessica Flori

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Reductions in alcohol use have often led to smaller reductions in harms than expected, and this may result from inadequate measurement of alcohol-related consequences. Harms questionnaires typically include consequences that can occur in the absence of alcohol use leading to an over attribution of certain harms to drinking (e.g., an individual might endorse engaging in risky behavior while drinking and while sober). The purpose of this study was to examine limitations of harms assessment by collecting data on frequency of harms while drinking and while sober, and to identify potential determinants of harms unrelated to alcohol use. College student participants …