Digital Commons Network^™

Discrimination, Depression, And Somatization: The Impact Of Spirituality And Covid-19, Katherine Aloisi

ETD Collection

The current study aims to fill gaps in the literature examining relationships between psychological symptoms (depressive, somatic), spirituality, ethnic discrimination, and stress related to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is hypothesized that stress caused by COVID-19 is associated with greater perceived discrimination, depressive symptoms, and somatic symptoms. It is also hypothesized that individuals experiencing heightened COVID-19 stress, and perceived discrimination would report increased depressive and somatic symptoms. Greater spiritual well-being is similarly hypothesized to decrease COVID-19 stress, depressive s, and somatic symptoms. Data was collected via self-report measures, including the COVID Stress Scale (CSS; Taylor et al., 2020), …

Use Of Adventure To Address Play Deprivation In Children And Teens Raised In Conflict, Kristin Salisbury, Mary Jan Greer

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

Youth raised in conflict often experience extrinsic and intrinsic factors that contribute to play deprivation and occupational injustice. These factors are reviewed through interviews with stakeholders and participants and observed while embedded in an adventure program for foster and adopted youth and in a refugee camp for families and children. Current literature reveals underlying factors that contribute to play deprivation for these youth, including conditions resulting from trauma and developmental delays due to the absence of play engagement. The poster reviews the programmatic components necessary for addressing these factors through whole-person play-based programming. It considers using adventure-based programming to introduce …

An Evidence-Based Preceptor Development Program For Nurse Anesthetists, Raleigh Todd

Doctoral Projects

Abstract

Problem Statement: The success of the student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNA) is heavily influenced by experiences in the clinical setting, often encompassing a variety of preceptors throughout their respective anesthesia programs. Despite the importance of the preceptor role, many preceptors feel unprepared, and it is estimated most certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) who precept students have received no formal training in the preceptor role.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an evidence-based preceptor education program for CRNA preceptors, utilizing evidence from literature and input from practicing nurse anesthetists. This program helps provide support by …

The Significance And Impact Of Traditional Naming Practices In The Meru Community Of Tanzania, Wariaeli Ismaeli Pallangyo, Eliakimu Sane

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

In Africa, names are not assigned arbitrarily. They are deliberately chosen to reflect communities’ social, economic and political understandings. The Meru people, residing in northeastern Tanzania, near Mount Meru, identify themselves through ethnic names that embody their cultural practices. This article examines the significance of Meru traditional names, variations and their enduring value in increasing globalisation and cultural homogenisation, drawing on data from the Meru community. Employing a case study design, qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with 49 participants recruited using snowball sampling. Thematic analysis, facilitated by Microsoft Excel, was utilised for data transcription …

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures For Mohs Reconstruction: A Systematic Review, Neha Garg, Shreya Mandloi, Natalia Queenan, Jay Trivedi, Adam Mccann, Vivian Xu, Dev Amin, Howard Krein, Ryan Heffelfinger

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

OBJECTIVE: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) and subsequent reconstructive procedures for the treatment of facial nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) significantly impact quality of life (QoL). A validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for patients who undergo Mohs reconstruction is not yet established. This study aims to systematically assess the quality of existing PROMs to determine their effectiveness in capturing the challenges faced after Mohs reconstruction for facial NMSC.

DATA SOURCES: A systematic review following established Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines was performed. Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched using keywords relevant to MMS, NMSC, facial reconstruction, …

Taking A Bite Out Of Shark Week: Discovery's Csa And Csr Messages, Kari Mortenson

Theses and Dissertations

The present study looks at how companies use corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social accountability (CSA) messages differently. This study uses Discovery Channels Shark Week as an example by utilizing a grounded deductive analysis of Discovery's X, formerly known as Twitter, posts from 2015-2020. This timeline was chosen thanks to Discovery partnering with the non-profit organization Oceana in 2010 to create more informed and conservation minded content. The posts on Discovery's X account during each Shark Week from 2015-2020 were examined. Each were coded for themes, Other, CSA, or CSR, and additional frames for those themes. The frames gathered …

Hyperglycemia Causes Differential Change In Macrophage Population In The Lacrimal Gland, Conjunctiva And Cornea, Saleh Alfuraih, Amy Tran, Lois Kim, Rais Ansari, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Due to its location, the ocular surface is exposed to environmental microbes. Innate immune cells including macrophages are first line defense against infections. In vitro exposure to high glucose as well as diabetes-associated hyperglycemia has been shown to affect innate immune cell function and population. The present study was designed to examine the effect of diabetes-associated hyperglycemia on the lacrimal gland, conjunctiva and cornea macrophage population, phenotypic changes and cytokines/chemokines.

Methods: Mouse model of Streptozotocin-induced diabetes was used to induce hyperglycemia. Immunostaining for CD11b and F4/80 was performed to stain macrophages in whole mount cornea, conjunctiva and 50 µm …

Social Participation Approach In Brain Injury Survivors, Lexie Graham, Cassandra Nelson

Fall 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

This program will consist of educating brain injury survivors and their peers on social participation following a brain injury. With the cognitive and physical deficits that come with brain injuries, a decrease in socialization occurs due to those barriers faced. With the lack of resources aimed towards brain injuries and social participation this program is essential to ensuring everyone has access to an education platform. Providing brain injury survivors and their peers with evidence-based information and tips for socializing is vital to helping families, friends, significant others, and peers keep strong relationships and increase their quality of life.

Time Reversal Delivery Of Long Duration Noise To A Targeted Location: Achieving Higher Amplitude While Maintaining A Desired Spectral Shape And Maximizing The Spatial Extent, Rylee Scott Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Time Reversal (TR) is a signal processing technique that can be used to focus acoustic waves to a specific location in space, with most applications aiming to create an impulsive focus. This study instead aims to focus long-duration noise signals using TR. This thesis seeks to generate higher amplitude noise at a desired location over an existing method of broadcasting equalized noise. Additionally, this thesis explores various characteristics associated with focusing long duration noise using TR. The dependence of the focal amplitude on the duration of the focused signal is explored as well as the implications of using multiple sources …

Selling The City: A Qualitative Study On The Image Construction Of Times Square Through Its Media Environment, Sheetal Pandey

Theses

As a globally recognized symbol of indulgent consumerism and urban spectacle, the media environment of New York City’s Times Square plays a pivotal role in constructing its iconic image. This qualitative study uses a media ecology framework to analyze how Times Square’s digital displays, interactive installations, and live performances create an immersive experience that informs one’s image of it. Through participant observation and visual content analysis, this study examines how visitors interact with Times Square’s media landscape and identifies recurring media-driven themes. Observations reveal that Times Square’s media ecosystem invites constant public interaction, actively engaging visitors in a feedback loop …

Jerry Daniels V. Dauphin County District Attorney\'S Office

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Karin Wolf V. State Of New Jersey

2024 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

December 18, 2024 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Gardner-Webb Presents Prestigious Tucker Scholarship To Will Brooks Of Shelby, N.C., Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Will Brooks, of Shelby, N.C., is the 2025 recipient of Gardner-Webb University’s highest honor for incoming undergraduate students, the Tucker Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength Scholarship. He is the sixth student in the history of the scholarship to be recognized with this honor. He also has the distinction of being the first male to win the award, and he is the first person from Cleveland County, N.C., to receive the Tucker Scholarship.

Long-Term Measurements Of Seasonal Snowpacks Indicate Increases In Mid-Winter Snowmelt And Earlier Snowpack Disappearance In The Northeastern U.S., Geoff Wilson, Mark Green, John Campbell, Alexandra R. Contosta, Nina Lany, Amey Bailey

Faculty Publications

Snowpacks are changing in northeastern North America as the regional climate warms, yet the relative influence of changes in precipitation compared to changes in ablation on snowpacks is poorly understood. We use 56 years of weekly snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements from three locations within a study site which vary in elevation and aspect, paired with adjacent daily climate measurements, to investigate relationships between climate and snowpack onset, maximum, and disappearance. Maximum snowpack size and snowpack duration are shrinking at all sites, at rates ranging from 4.3 days/decade at the coldest site to 9.6 days/decade at the warmest site. The …

Tree Rings Reveal Mixtures Of Aspen And Spruce Exhibit Greater Drought Resilience In A Planted Field Experiment, Jéssica Chaves Cardoso, Linhao Wu, Marcel Schneider, Charles A. Nock

Aspen Bibliography

Boreal forests provide a wealth of ecosystem services, many of which are linked to forest productivity. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency, duration, and severity of drought, and undermine the productivity of western boreal forests. Favouring species mixtures has emerged as a potential strategy to increase forest resilience to drought. To test the hypothesis that mixtures of trembling aspen and white spruce were more productive than pure stands because they were more resistant and resilient to drought, we analyzed community and species responses to drought utilizing measurements of annual growth obtained from stem disc samples from a planted …

Performing Masculinities: The Assumption Of Men’S Roles By Women Left Behind By Male Migrant Labourers In Southern Tanzania, Nives Kinunda, Angelus Mnenuka, Samwel Mhajida

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines the empowerment of female farmers in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania due to male labour migration during the British colonial rule. The study sought to highlight the history of gender-based division of labour, the dynamics of labour division during the colonial period, the trend of females’ adoption of males’ activities, and women’s empowerment resulting from their assumption of males’ responsibilities. Data were collected through oral interviews, documentary reviews, group-focused discussions, and archival sources. The data were analysed and interpreted using a gender framework theory, which includes, among other things, gender roles and gender relations. Findings show that …

Quality Interpretation, Quality Interpretation Assessment, Back Translation, Communication Breakdown, Sense-Based Theory, Liyenja Mwinuka

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study assesses the quality of English-Kiswahili Sermon interpretation in church settings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with a specific focus on the accuracy of vocabulary interpretation and its impact on effective communication between preachers and audiences. Conducted in two purposively selected Pentecostal churches, the study employed the Sense-Based Theory as its guiding framework. Data were gathered through interviews, non-participant observation, and video recordings; and were analysed qualitatively. The findings reveal frequent misinterpretation of preachers’ English vocabulary by Sermon interpreters, leading to significant communication breakdowns between preachers and their audiences. The incorrect interpretations of vocabulary were primarily attributed to the …

An Assessment Of Macroeconomic Effects Of Financial Liberalization In Tanzania: 1990-2022, Cornel Joseph

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of financial liberalization on key macroeconomic indicators in Tanzania, specifically focusing on savings, investment, and economic growth. Utilizing extensive annual time series data from 1990 to 2022, the research employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method and incorporates bound testing procedures to ensure robust results. The analysis reveals several significant findings: financial liberalization has a positive impact on savings and promotes economic growth in the long-run, demonstrating its role as a catalyst for economic advancement in Tanzania. However, the study also uncovers a concerning trend: while savings and growth benefit from …

Nexus Between Rural Agricultural Land Ownership And Agricultural Credits Access: A Case Of Tanzania, Gelas Rubakula

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Agricultural investment in low- and middle-income countries faces credit access challenges. Several financial institutions, particularly banks, normally impose some conditions where the possession of a land title deed is required to access agricultural credits. This paper examines whether, and to what extent, rural agricultural land ownership influences agricultural credit access for rural farmers in Tanzania. The study focuses only on rural farmers and tries to find out whether these smallholder farmers can use their land, which is largely unformalized, as a collateral for credit access. The study survey was cross-sectional, using quantitative data collected in December 2017 to March 2018 …

Community, State And Professionalism: Negotiating The Experience Of Community Health Workers In The Provision Of Maternal And Child Health Services In Tanzania, Chakupewa Joseph Mpambije

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Research on community health workers (CHWs) has been on the increase in the past decades in Tanzania, focusing on the provision of maternal and child health (MCH) services. While performing their tasks, CHWs work within three constructs: the community, the state, and their professionalism. However, as CHWs work within these constructs, there exists scanty literature which discourses their experiences within the realm of the community, the state and their professionalism. This review aimed to articulate how these constructs facilitate or inhibit CHWs’ performance in improving MCH services. It employed a scoping review method in which peer-reviewed articles and grey literature …

Does Market Accessibility Improve Household Food Security? Evidence From Small-Holder Maize Producers In Southern Tanzania, Monica Sebastian Kauky

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study investigated the impact of market accessibility on household food security among smallholder maize producers in Southern Tanzania, utilizing data from a sample of 407 households primarily engaged in maize farming. Tobit and probit models assessed the relationship between food security and market access. Contrary to expectations, the findings revealed no significant association between market access and food security. Instead, the results underscored the importance of resource availability, indicating that larger farm sizes and higher household wealth indices significantly reduce the risk of food insecurity. These findings suggest that rather than focusing exclusively on enhancing market access, policymakers should …

Ad Hominem Arguments In Zimbabwean Political Discourse: An Analysis Of Political Argumentation, Jack Mutsvairo, Mawande Dlali

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The article investigates the motivation behind the prevalent use of the subtypes of ad hominem (personal attacks) arguments in Zimbabwe political discourse in the build-up to the 2023 harmonised council, parliamentary and presidential elections. This qualitative case study research looks at the use of ad hominem arguments by Zimbabwean politicians. Using analytical tools and concepts from informal logic and pragma-dialectical argumentation theories, this article focuses on identifying, analysing, and evaluating ad hominem arguments used in Zimbabwean political discourse, particularly in parliamentary debates and broadcast interviews. Data were purposively sampled and gathered from Hansard records, and a television interview transcript. It …

Leadership Strategies Indigenous Canadian Entrepreneurs Use To Sustain Their Business, Sherry Tyeesum Mattice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Indigenous Canadian small business entrepreneurs face a high risk of failure within five years of operation. These entrepreneurs encounter challenges such as limited access to capital and skilled employees and must develop strategies to sustain and grow their businesses. Grounded in the theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies employed by Indigenous small business entrepreneurs to effectively sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants were six Indigenous small business entrepreneurs in British Columbia who implemented strategies to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and by reviewing …

A Benchmark For Computational Analysis Of Animal Behavior, Using Animal-Borne Tags, Benjamin Hoffman, Maddie Cusimano, Vittorio Baglione, Daniela Canestrari, Damien Chevallier, Dominic L. Desantis, Lorène Jeantet, Monique A. Ladds, Takuya Maekawa, Vicente Mata-Silva, Víctor Moreno-González, Anthony M. Pagano, Eva Trapote, Outi Vainio, Antti Vehkaoja, Ken Yoda, Katherine Zacarian, Ari Friedlaender

Faculty and Staff Works

BACKGROUND: Animal-borne sensors ('bio-loggers') can record a suite of kinematic and environmental data, which are used to elucidate animal ecophysiology and improve conservation efforts. Machine learning techniques are used for interpreting the large amounts of data recorded by bio-loggers, but there exists no common framework for comparing the different machine learning techniques in this domain. This makes it difficult to, for example, identify patterns in what works well for machine learning-based analysis of bio-logger data. It also makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of novel methods developed by the machine learning community. METHODS: To address this, we present the …

Higher Education Reform In Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Institutions: Responses From French Institutions To Quality Management Imperatives, Marine Condette

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Reputation Management: Branding A Higher Education Graduate Program To Increase Visibility, Vanderbilt Artaxerxes Brabson Iv

Student Theses and Dissertations

This capstone project offers a comprehensive training tool for non-communication professionals working in higher education programs. Its main goals are to give users (1) a summary of valuable research on higher education reputation management, branding, and strategic communication, and (2) an online toolkit for non-communication professionals to boost the visibility and impact of their educational initiatives. By providing practical, actionable resources, these tools help higher education professionals effectively handle the challenges of strategic communication management. The toolkit is especially useful because it delivers evidence-based strategies and methods that can be directly applied to improve communication efforts in higher education. It …

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Justice-Involved Individuals And Executive Function Consequences On Transition And Reintegration Into The Community, Alaina L. Randerson

Student Capstone Papers

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world (Carson, 2022), with an increasing number of justice-involved individuals (JII) potentially affected by mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Despite the high prevalence of mTBIs in the general population, limited research exists on the prevalence and impact of mTBIs in JII. Preliminary evidence suggests that the prevalence of mTBIs in incarcerated individuals is 50 times higher than in the general public (Siegler et al., 2017). This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of JII with mTBI, focusing on the origin of mTBIs, executive dysfunction, and the occupational barriers …

Minutes From December 18 2024, University Senate

University Senate Minutes

Minutes from December 18 2024 University Senate Meeting

A Critical Discourse Analysis Of The Representation Of Gender Images In Wedding Speeches In Tanzania, Reuben Ndimbo, Antoni Keya

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study examined parents’ counsel during weddings to determine how wedding discourse represents gender relations. This article utilized a qualitative methodology, using audio-visual records of speeches and the focus group discussion technique to gather data. Using critical discourse analysis, the study found that wedding discourse reinforces stereotypical gender roles following the dominant male ideology, portraying men as the supreme heads of households who are responsible for making important decisions, including financial and political matters. On the other hand, women are projected as obedient, showing humility: perpetuating the image of dependent and submissive individuals. The study provides a basis for linguistic …