Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of Artificial Treatment Wetland Systems In The English Coulee, Michael Anthony Rosati

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial treatment wetlands are commonly used for treating urban stormwater runoffand surface waters affected by agricultural runoff. While this method is well-established, its effectiveness can vary based on environmental, design, and hydraulic factors. In Grand Forks, ND, the English Coulee, a hydraulically altered class III stream, is currently experiencing elevated nutrient pollution, specifically nitrates and phosphates. Implementing a floating treatment wetland (FTW) system in the English Coulee is a potential solution. This paper analyzes the feasibility and requirements for a 4.64 ha FTW to achieve a minimum of 50% nutrient removal, utilizing comprehensive modeling approaches. Through HEC-HMS and HECRAS simulations, …

Quantification Of Rigidity And Synthesis Of Cyclobutane Bisimide Building Blocks, Joseph Earl Mcgilligan Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

The quantification of a molecule’s conformational rigidity was achieved via development of a new measure called the Rigidity Factor, Rg_f. This value is a unit interval wherein molecules with corresponding Rg_f values closer to 1 are rigid and values closer to 0 are more flexible. The value is determined as a ratio between the molecule’s Van der Waals volume, V_W, and it’s Van der Waals potential volume, VWpot. The V_Wpot was defined as the minimum total volume occupied by a rotamer ensemble of the molecule which has been aligned according to the RMSD for …

Machine Learning And Data Mining To Validate The Prognostics And Predictive Breast Cancer Biomarkers On A Large Racially Diverse Population, Kalli Scheafer

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer biomarkers have great potential in providing clinicians more individualized information about the composition and outcomes of a patient’s breast cancer. However, many breast cancer biomarkers have not been evaluated on a large scale or in groups of patients with diverse characteristics, leading to difficulty in their translation to having an impact on patients. In this study, we compile a large, pooled breast cancer patient data cohort and evaluate breast cancer biomarkers on patients with diverse characteristics. Biomarkers are found to have varying expression patterns within the different breast cancer subtypes, validating the need to evaluate biomarkers on patient …

Exploring Zinc Amido-Oxazolinate Complexes As Catalysts For Ring Opening Polymerization (Rop) And Ring Opening Co-Polymerization (Rocop), Muneer Shaik

Theses and Dissertations

This research aims to explore the potential of zinc amido-oxazolinate complexes as catalysts for ring opening polymerization (ROP) and ring opening copolymerization (ROCOP). ROP is a method for synthesizing polymers by opening cyclic monomers, while ROCOP involves using two different monomers to create a copolymer. The ROP of lactones is a well-established method for the synthesis of polyesters, whereas the ROCOP of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides is a more recent development. Zinc amido-oxazolinate complexes are a promising class of catalysts due to their tunable electronic properties and high reactivity. The catalytic activity of these complexes can be tuned by modifying …

Lived Experiences Of College Students With Social Anxiety Disorder Accessing Support Services, Patrice Nicole Broaden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many college students exhibit symptoms related to social anxiety disorder (SAD); however, they were not addressed or diagnosed until college. College counseling centers are experiencing an increased number of students with SAD. College students with SAD often experience failing grades, have limited social interaction with peers, and lack appropriate assertiveness. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of college students with SAD accessing support services. Phenomenology was the framework used to support the study. Semi structured interviews with 10 students were used to generate rich, detailed descriptions of the phenomenon. An interpretative phenomenological analysis …

Environmental Factors And Breast Cancer Mortality, Joel Collazo Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is a public health problem in the United States that impacts diverse ethnic female groups in different ways regarding incidence and mortality. Much is known about the factors increasing the risk of developing breast cancer, but little is known about those that increase the chances of dying from it, other than access to health care, screening, and appropriate treatment. This study aimed to understand the association between exposure to Environmental Protection Agency-regulated air pollutants and breast cancer mortality, including how the interaction between these air contaminants impacts the outcome of interest, considering median income, education level, and percentage …

The Human-Canine Bond: Levels Of Stress Among Military Spouses During Deployments, Angela L. De Leon-Muniz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has found that deployment may impact military spouses’ emotional wellbeing and attachment with family members. There remains a critical gap in the literature regarding difference in stress levels between military spouses who own canines and those who do not. The theoretical foundations for this study were Bowlby’s attachment theory and Bowen’s family systems theory. Research questions included exploring the relationships between (a) pet canine ownership, deployment length of time, and military spouses’ stress levels, and (b) pet canine owners’ pet attachment and stress experienced, when their significant others are deployed. The sample comprised 82 spouses with deployed military …

Association Between Antidepressant Adherence And Major Depressive Disorder Complications, Philip Lisinge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite evidence that antidepressants are more effective at treating major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms, there is growing evidence that MDD management is still hampered by nonadherence to antidepressant treatment regimens. Researchers have suggested that MDD, if untreated, might lead to MDD-related complications, but other researchers have argued that adherence to antidepressants can lead to these same MDD-related complications. This quantitative cross-sectional study used primary data collected from 298 volunteers to examine the association between MDD-related complications and antidepressant adherence to clarify these diverging opinions. The study’s objective was to provide evidence to accept or reject the premise that antidepressant adherence …

Microaggressions Against Ethnic Individuals From Minorities In Counseling, Joan Morton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEven though the current literature addresses racial microaggressions among ethnic minority people and implications for counseling, no qualitative research that included the voices of ethnic minority individuals was found. Researchers have not fully addressed the prevalence of racial microaggressions in counseling sessions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore the lived encounters of ethnic minorities concerning racial microaggressions in counseling. The study issue was analyzed through the lens of critical race theory. Four participants were recruited from the Walden University participation pool. Data were selected through semi-structure interviews and narrative analysis was used to analyze data to …

Moral Injury Themes Involving Criminal Recklessness Among Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder, Sandra Starch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Moral injury (MI) can emerge following transgressive acts against one’s deeply held moral beliefs. Its symptomology involves individual psychological, spiritual, behavioral, and social spheres. It has primarily been studied within the military and in a few select civilian populations. This descriptive phenomenological study involved exploring MI themes among adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who had engaged in criminally reckless acts. Data collected from semi-structured interviews with eight participants were coded and analyzed, leading to six major themes revealing the symptomology of MI. Responses from study participants supported Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance via their descriptions of alcohol abuse cycles …

Perspectives On Motor Skills Necessary For Kindergarteners’ Formal School Readiness, Allyson M. Schildt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have noted that before children can learn academics, they must first have developed motor skills. Motor skills are foundational to learning and integrated into other domains of learning as a child develops. The problem addressed through this basic qualitative study is that some kindergarten students in the northeastern United States lack motor skills necessary for formal school readiness, and kindergarten teachers are challenged to support students’ development of motor skills necessary for formal school readiness. The purpose of this study was to explore kindergarten teacher perspectives on kindergarten students’ motor skills necessary for formal school readiness. Thelen’s dynamic systems …

Nurses’ Perception Of Pain Assessment In Cognitively Impaired Older Residents In Long-Term Care, Abigail Owolabi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPain has been a significant problem in old age and is more problematic in cognitively impaired older residents (CIOR) because of their inability to express themselves. The goal of pain assessment in CIOR is to treat pain before it escalates to behavioral problems. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore nurses’ perceptions of pain assessment in CIOR in long-term care facilities. Watson’s theory of human caring was used to frame the study. A purposive sample of eight nurses was recruited from two long-term care facilities for interviews conducted using the telephone and continued until saturation was reached. Data was manually …

Professional Discretion Of Child Protective Services Investigators In Foster Care Placements, Leonard Fikes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Families of color in North Carolina have been disproportionately affected in the child welfare system, particularly in the foster care system. The purpose of this qualitative research study examined the discretionary powers of Child Protective Services (CPS) investigators and how they interpreted and applied child welfare policies that disproportionally impacted African American families from marginalized, underrepresented communities. Guided by Wallander and Molander’s professional discretion as the framework, this research expanded the current literature and increased awareness of racial disproportionality and the continued disproportionality of African American children in the child welfare system, especially foster care placements. The central research question …

International Military Peacekeepers And Sex Offenses Committed In The Central African Republic, Michael Tabung Njong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractStudies have been conducted on the sexual offending of the local population by peacekeepers, but few have been conducted on the lived experience of professionals providing support and assistance to these victims. This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of experts providing support and assistance to victims of sex offenses committed in the Central African Republic by international military peacekeepers. The classical deterrence and retributive justice theories guided the study. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling and data collected through face-to- face interviews and analyzed using the Modified Van Kaam method. Two research questions were used …

Admission Timing, Age, Sex, Pain, And Disability As Outcome Predictors Of Short-Term Pain Programs, Nanesha Courtney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that age, sex, education level, and pretreatment pain levels may be significant predictors of patient outcomes; however, it remained unknown whether the timing of treatment predicts pain and disability after a multidisciplinary short-term intensive pain treatment program. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study was to use archival data to examine whether the timing of entry into a multidisciplinary short-term intensive pain treatment program predicted pain and functioning levels at posttreatment. Glasser’s choice theory was used to examine whether the combined effect of pretreatment pain, occupational disability level, age, sex, education level, and time of entrance predicted …

The Perceived Impact Of Effective Leadership On Employee Engagement And Compliance, Ayana Gilham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was the perceived impact of effective leadership on employee engagement and compliance. The Baldridge Excellence Framework was used as a guide for this qualitative case study of a behavioral health organization (BHO) located in the southeastern region of the United States. Research questions were used to examine the definition of effective leadership, the impact effective leadership has on employee engagement and compliance, and training needed to implement effective leadership practices. Data sources were semi-structured interviews with the organization’s Vice President of Operations and Clinical Director, the organization’s website, government websites, archival data provided by the …

Experiences Of Women Faculty Using Meditative Practices Through Workplace Health Promotion In Ontario, Kelly Lynn Henley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace stress is pervasive and changes to the postsecondary teaching and learning environment have contributed to stress among women faculty and adversely impacted their personal well-being. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the constructs in the health belief model (HBM) play a role in the use of worksite wellness initiatives to manage stress and promote wellness among women postsecondary faculty in Ontario. The research questions were designed based on the HBM to examine the participants’ perceptions of severity and susceptibility to workplace stress, perceived benefits and barriers to participation, motivation to participate, and self-efficacy. Women faculty …

The Lived Experience Of Lung Cancer Patients With Psychological Health And Physical Activity, Donna Leeann Homkes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPhysical activity (PA) is recognized as a treatment protocol for lung cancer patients that improves physical impairments and reduces symptoms of psychological stress. This qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) study was conducted to explore the lived experience of lung cancer patients and how PA is influenced by anxiety, depression, and fatigue. This study was guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and Engel’s biopsychosocial model. In-depth semi structured interviews were conducted with seven lung cancer participants over Zoom and in person. The data were analyzed using manual hand coding. The analysis revealed themes in patients’ experiences about how PA participation is influenced …

Recruitment And Retention Of Health Care Workers In Rural Areas, Robbie Marie Julian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care worker shortage is a global problem and is challenging for human resources managers. Human resource managers need more strategies to recruit and retain healthcare workers in rural areas to decrease healthcare worker shortages, unemployment rates, patient morbidity, and mortality rates. Grounded by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies human resource managers use to recruit and retain healthcare workers in rural areas. The participants were three managers from Southern Louisiana rural area medical facilities with at least 5 years of experience developing and implementing successful recruitment and retention …

Effect Of Family Engagement On The Behavioral Health Of Mentally Ill Offenders, Jessica Rae Horn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 40% of incarcerated individuals have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, but they often lack the support system needed to navigate their incarceration. This study addressed ways to understand how family engagement opportunities can improve the behavioral health of mentally ill offenders. Specifically, five research questions were used to explore the degree to which the practice of family engagement was understood as a method for providing support to mentally ill incarcerated individuals. The study followed the Baldrige Framework of Excellence to identify current organizational leadership and management issues that can help reach its goals, improve …

Mitigating Supply Chain Disruptions In Retail Discount Department Stores, Anthony T. Patton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain disruptions can have adverse effects on business outcomes. Retail industry supply chain leaders are concerned with supply chain disruptions because supply chain disruptions can lead to dissatisfied customers and loss of profits. Grounded in game theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies four retail industry supply chain leaders in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana implemented to mitigate the effects of supply chain disruptions. Data were collected using semistructured virtual interviews with four retail industry supply chain leaders and a review of company documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (a) choosing appropriate inventory …

Oncology Nurses’ Experiences Dealing With And Managing Compassion Fatigue While Caring For Terminally Ill Patients, Stacey-Ann Mary Whyte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue (CF) is a significant cause of nurse burnout (BO). Oncology nurses are particularly susceptible to CF because of the continual contact with terminally ill patients and recurrent experiences with patients’ death. A search of existing literature found no published studies that explicitly focused on interviewing oncology nurses to gain their expression of their lived experiences with CF while caring for terminally ill patients. This phenomenological qualitative study explored oncology nurses’ experiences dealing with and managing CF when caring for terminally ill patients. Figley’s compassion fatigue theory grounded this study. The research questions focused on the lived experiences of …

New Frontiers In The Application Of Stable Isotopes To Ecological And Ecophysiological Research, Keith Alan Hobson (Editor), John P. Whiteman (Editor), Seth Newsome (Editor)

Biological Sciences Faculty Books

This Research Topic aims to present cutting-edge applications of stable isotope methods to animal and plant ecology and ecophysiology.

2022-2023 Graduate Program Survey, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning.

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

Faculty & Professional Staff --- 3
Survey Methodology --- 4
Degree Counts --- 5
Primary Plans Following Graduation --- 8
Participation at UNI --- 9
Reasons for Attending Graduate School --- 10
Confidence in Skills Following Graduate Education --- 11
Academic Experiences --- 12
Academic Experiences [5 Year Comparison] --- 14
Financing a Graduate Education --- 15
Graduate Assistantships at UNI --- 18
Survey Tool --- 17

Regulating The Use Of Military Human Enhancements That Can Cause Side Effects Under The Law Of Armed Conflict: Towards A Method-Based Approach, Yang Liu

American University National Security Law Brief

The development of human enhancement (HE) technology has rendered its military potential increasingly noticed by major military powers. It can be expected that “enhanced warfighters” or “super soldiers” will be used on the battleground in the foreseeable future, which can give rise to many legal issues.

Into The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death: War Crimes Committed In Service Of Russia's Crusade To Destroy Ukraine, Chris Galarza

American University National Security Law Brief

When Russian tanks rolled across the border into Ukraine during the early morning of February 24, 2022, most in the American defense and diplomatic establishment were shocked and sure the war would be over in a few days. Credible open-source tactical and strategic analysis predicted that Ukraine’s regular military forces would be defeated in “days or weeks” as long as Russian military forces were determined to pursue their objectives. The United States Government was so sure that Kyiv was under imminent threat of capture that they offered to evacuate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy so that he could rule from exile, rather …

On The Potential Therapeutic Roles Of Taurine In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alberto Rubio-Casillas, Elrashdy M. Redwan, Vladimir N. Uversky

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Contemporary research has found that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit aberrant immunological function, with a shift toward increased cytokine production and unusual cell function. Microglia and astroglia were found to be significantly activated in immuno-cytochemical studies, and cytokine analysis revealed that the macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor β-1 (TGFB-1), all generated in the neuroglia, constituted the most predominant cytokines in the brain. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a promising therapeutic molecule able to increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and ATPase, which may be protective against aluminum-induced neurotoxicity. …

Biomolecular Condensates: Insights Into Early And Late Steps Of The Hiv-1 Replication Cycle, Francesca Di Nunzio, Vladimir N. Uversky, Andrew J. Mouland

Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

A rapidly evolving understanding of phase separation in the biological and physical sciences has led to the redefining of virus-engineered replication compartments in many viruses with RNA genomes. Condensation of viral, host and genomic and subgenomic RNAs can take place to evade the innate immunity response and to help viral replication. Divergent viruses prompt liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) to invade the host cell. During HIV replication there are several steps involving LLPS. In this review, we characterize the ability of individual viral and host partners that assemble into biomolecular condensates (BMCs). Of note, bioinformatic analyses predict models of phase separation …

Math Department 2022-2023 Newsletter, Mathematics Department

Mathematics Newsletter

Welcome to our annual Mathematics Department Newsletter. We had an exciting year with many activities and accomplishments. Our students have received awards, attended conferences, conducted research, and have really contributed to the life of the department. Our faculty have had many accomplishments in teaching and scholarship. We conducted several events such as Alumni Night, hosted a guest speaker for the university community, had our Pi Mu Epsilon induction and awards ceremony, and much more. We have heard from several alumni and are happy to report what they are doing. Our Math Club has been becoming more active. On the curriculum …

Period Poverty And Life Strains: Efforts Made To Erase Stigma And To Expand Access To Menstrual Hygiene Products, Jennifer L. Brinkley, Nicole Niebuhr

Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality

No abstract provided.