Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Widowhood Cultural Practices, Values, And Beliefs, Of Nigerian American Women: An Ethnonursing Study, Prisca Anuforo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Many widowhood cultural practices are detrimental to the health and well-being of widows in Nigeria. Little is known about the experiences of widowhood for Nigerian American women, their cultural practices, and how it affects their health.

Purpose: Understand widowhood cultural practices among Nigerian Americans and how these experiences may affect health and wellbeing.

Methods: The qualitative ethnonursing method was used to collect data from 25 Nigerian American widows. Data were analyzed using NVivo qualitative data manager software guided by Leininger’s four phases of qualitative analysis.

Results: Widowhood cultural practices are modified and undertaken to preserve health and honor the …

Excessive Before It Begins: A Critical Analysis Of Racialized Encounters Between Police And African American Men, Lucas Goodwin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the last decade, the racial violence that plagues relations between African Americans and the police has been brought to the attention of the American public by means of cell phone video footage of police use of excessive, and at times lethal, force in encounters with African American men. The images of police brutality that have emerged in this time have outraged millions of Americans, sparking nationwide protests, as well as various social and political movements. While perspectives may abound regarding the causes and significance of such brutality, the data is clear on one thing: Police violence disproportionately harms African …

Advancing Continuous Manufacturing: The Role Of Process Analytical Technology In Process Development, Samuel R. Henson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The pharmaceutical industry is actively pursuing technologies which improve manufacturing processes with the goal of producing high-quality pharmaceutical products for patients, manifesting in an industry-wide investment in continuous manufacturing (CM). Process analytical technology (PAT) has been recognized for its successful monitoring of critical quality attributes during routine production and is often cited alongside CM due to its ability to make timely, in-line measurements of intermediate materials. Various PAT tools are valuable in process development, particularly as continuous wet granulation processes are developed for use within pharmaceutical manufacturing. This work applied PAT and chemometric modeling during CM process development to enhance …

…And So It Ends In A Tie, Crystal Hou

Theses

…and so it ends in a tie is a 2D frame-by-frame animated short film produced during the course of my 3rd year as a Master of Fine Arts student in the School of Film & Animation at Rochester Institute of Technology. The film explores themes of homosexuality, female sexuality, and the history of Japanese rope bondage through the fictionalized story of a fateful encounter between a rope-wielding martial artist and a mysterious woman who captures her attention. This paper serves as a documentation of the filmmaking process, a discussion of the ideologies and goals behind its creation, and a retrospective …

I Hear A New World, Katie Christ

Theses

“I Hear a New World” is a documentary short film that reflects on the relevance and persistence of nostalgia and tradition during a time of rapid technological advancement and societal change. The film highlights the memories and musings of 8 college students, who were all Class of 2020 high school seniors and whose senior traditions were inevitably brought entirely online due to the Covid-19 global pandemic to varied degrees of success. In rambling, thoughtful delivery, the Gen Z interviewees provide insight into their pre-pandemic internet obsession that led to their teenage reclusivity and how this perspective changed greatly following the …

From Factories To Homes: A Comparative Analysis Of Adaptive Reuse In New England Industrial Buildings For Multi-Family Residential Conversion, Jeremy Weeden

Theses

The adaptive reuse of industrial buildings offers a promising path toward sustainable urban development, particularly in New England. This study investigates the feasibility and energy efficiency of converting an older, unused industrial building into a multi-family residential structure by evaluating three distinct wall assemblies that preserves the exterior brick facade: existing structural brick, a typical adapted wall assembly with interior 2x4 wood construction, and a high-efficiency adapted wall assembly with an additional interior 2x6 wood construction. Through a detailed case study analysis focusing on the building’s core and shell, this research aims to identify the most effective wall assembly for …

Muslim Spirituality As A Foundation In Bioethics For Patient Encounters In Health Care, Sara Rahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spirituality plays a major role in decision making for individuals with faith-based values. There is often hesitation to discuss the role of faith in healthcare as a core value and coping mechanism. The growing cultural diversity amongst patients and physicians has increased the need to understand eastern religious principles and incorporate them into bioethical guidance. Even as the 2nd largest religion in the world, Islam has not been sufficiently integrated into religious bioethics in western medicine. Muslim populations of patients and physicians are growing, increasing the need for better understanding of how Islamic principles impact healthcare delivery. Although Islamic law …

The Ghostly Angel In The Haunted Home: The Haunted House As A Metaphor For A Woman's Body In Crimson Peak, Andrea I. Amado-Fajardo

Theses and Dissertations

Crimson Peak (2015, dir. Guillermo del Toro), often overshadowed by del Toro's more critically acclaimed filmography, deserves to be acknowledged for its central trauma metaphor and its nuanced approach to gender. Far from being merely a horror movie fueled by disturbing sequences such as those found in contemporary supernatural horror films, Crimson Peak slowly unravels how Allerdale Hall parallels the film's female leads as they house and live with ghosts, revenants of a traumatic past. This essay explores the personification of the haunted house as a metaphor for the personified trauma that resides in a woman's body using Crimson Peak …

Development Of A Real-Time Convolution System To Simulate Speech In Different Rooms For The Study Of Vocal Strain, Bethany E. Wu

Theses and Dissertations

Due to prevalent vocal health issues in teachers, the acoustics of K-12 classrooms has become a topic of study in acoustics. One way to understand the effects of a classroom's physical space on speech is with vocal effort studies. This thesis aims to enable these studies, without the need to move a talker from room to room, by creating auralizations through real-time convolution of speech with oral binaural room impulse responses (OBRIRs). These auralizations can be used to test talkers inside an anechoic chamber as they experience speaking in different acoustical environments. A system that can successfully execute convolution in …

On The Brink: Red Wolves On The Albemarle Peninsula, Jessica Hardee

Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum

No abstract provided.

Community Justice Workers: Part Of The Solution To Alaska's Legal Deserts, Joy Anderson, Sarah Carver, Dr. Robert Onders

Alaska Law Review

Legal deserts—large geographic areas where there are few or no attorneys—are found throughout the United States, including Alaska. These deserts are a major contributor to the access to justice gap. Further compounding the scarcity of legal resources in these areas, many people living in legal deserts cannot afford legal help, even when a lawyer is available. Legal aid organizations have struggled to overcome these challenges in meeting the legal needs of low-income Americans and are often forced to turn away as many people as they are able to help. Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) is responding to this challenge in …

Justice Beyond The State, Kirsten Matoy Carlson

Alaska Law Review

For decades the intersectionality of extreme rurality and cultural difference has led scholars and tribal leaders to advocate for recognition of local authority as a solution to the justice gap in rural Alaska. Local control often means developing courts in and extending jurisdiction to Alaska Native villages. This Article evaluates strengthening tribal courts or justice systems through restorations of jurisdiction as a way to address access to justice issues in Alaska Native villages. It argues that restorations of jurisdiction and the development of tribal justice systems must ensure that Alaska Natives define the justice provided in their communities. Restorations of …

Next Steps In Online Courts: Accelerating Access Tojustice Through Court Technology, J.J. Prescott

Alaska Law Review

For more than a decade, state courts have been expanding access to justice by adopting online dispute resolution (ODR) platforms and other outward-facing communication technologies. At a deep level, these reforms aim at improving society by bolstering the rule of law. At a surface level, these innovations recognize that the justice system works better when courts and law are easier and less costly to understand and use. In important respects, these efforts have been a success. The accessibility of many state courts is considerably more robust today than it was ten years ago, at least for small-stakes cases, like traffic …

Alaska's Healthcare Markets: The Free Market Is Nota "Cure", Katie Raya

Alaska Law Review

Healthcare reform in the United States requires a nuanced approach to improve quality and access while managing costs—a challenge particularly pronounced in Alaska. Despite being the highest spender on healthcare globally, the U.S. fails to deliver commensurate health outcomes, with Alaska exemplifying these systemic issues. The state faces the highest healthcare costs in the nation yet performs poorly in quality and access metrics. This situation has prompted urgent legislative scrutiny of existing policies, such as the Certificate of Need (CON) Law and the 80th Percentile Rule. This Note critically evaluates the argument that deregulating Alaska's healthcare market will lead to …

Glacial Progress: Thawing The Path To A Law School In Alaska, Kathrine Coonjohn

Alaska Law Review

My contribution to this symposium is clear: to advocate for the establishment of an Alaskan law school. As the only state in the nation without one Alaska keenly suffers the repercussions of this absence. The resulting void creates shortages of legal professionals, reduces opportunities for continuing legal education, cultural and community disconnection, and contributes to brain drain. Further, it undermines the state's legal infrastructure and limits access to justice. Despite significant logistical and financial hurdles, including the high costs of establishment and sustainability concerns, the need for a local legal institution is undeniable, and this need will only grow more …

When Politics No Longer Stops At The Water’S Edge: Exploring The Effects Of Asymmetric Partisan Polarization On The United States Senate’S Treaty Approval Process, Whitney Baillie-Berring

Dissertations - ALL

The American treaty ratification process is deeply flawed. The Constitutional rules for treaty ratification, specifically that treaties are reviewed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prior to voting on the Senate floor and that positive advice and consent requires a 2/3 majority in the Senate, leaves the process rife with opportunities for veto players to prevent treaties from moving through the process. Because treaties are the primary means of codifying international cooperation, the inability to pass treaties has dire consequences for the United States. Recently, the U.S. has increasingly failed to consent to treaty ratification, either through formal rejection or …

The Evolution Of The University Of Al-Anbar Urban Planning Based On The Mental Picture's Diversity And The Contemporary Planning Spaces Filling, Ali Abdulsamea Hameed

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

This research concentrated on the role of environmental graphic design (EGD) and the place-making idea in the interior environment of Al-Anbar University. To develop an identity being visual for the University of Al-Anbar internal environment (IE) is this goal of project. The search sought to create and enhance the shape of the internal University of Al-Anbar vacuum by reviving the idea of place building. In order to build and filling the internal emptiness of the campus, the identity being visual must also be strengthened. The descriptive analytical approach was chosen since it was best suited to achieve the goal of …

Population Dynamics In Myxococcus Xanthus Developmental Biofilm, Trosporsha Tasnim Khan

Dissertations - ALL

Myxococcus xanthus, a soil-dwelling bacterium, exhibits complex multicellular behaviors through self-organization into biofilms. M. xanthus cells traverse agar surfaces, forming either predatory biofilm or vegetative swarm that expands outward in the presence of nutrients. Upon nutrient depletion, the swarm reorganizes as cells “stream” inward, coalescing into aggregates that mature into spore-filled fruiting bodies. This starvation-induced biofilm development is a complex process, governed by stringent genetic controls and coordinated population interactions. Despite extensive research into the dynamics of this development, from the onset of starvation to fruiting body maturation, a comprehensive understanding is still missing. This dissertation sheds light on the …

An Examination Of School Counselor Leadership Practices Related To Burnout, Training Experience, And Caseload, Alan Miller

Dissertations - ALL

School counselors are expected to be leaders in their educational communities. School counselor practices are impacted by a variety of internal and external factors. Leadership practices explored include five dimensions of leadership: Interpersonal Influence, Systemic Collaboration, Resourceful Problem Solving, Professional Efficacy, and Social Justice Advocacy. Burnout experiences explored include five dimensions: Exhaustion, Incompetence, Negative Work Environment, Devaluing Clients, and Deterioration in Personal Life. Leadership training was operationalized as a total number of hours spent in coursework or professional development activities specifically focused on leadership training or practices. Caseload was operationalized as a whole number with a range from 1-1000 students …

Student Understanding Of Trigonometric Functions: Exploring Understanding Through The Use Of Contextual Tasks, Julia Hatt

Dissertations - ALL

Researchers in mathematics education have studied many facets of teaching and learning mathematical functions, however, research focusing on trigonometric functions is sparse. Mathematics education researchers have also studied the importance of and impact of mathematical tasks for learning. For example, the framework of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) emphasizes learning mathematics situated in reality and using rich contexts that provide learners with opportunities to reinvent mathematics in a way that is meaningful to them. Despite this valuable research, there exist gaps between the findings from these studies and their enactment in classrooms. As such, this qualitative study sought to extend frameworks …

Self-Esteem, Test Anxiety, And Resource Use In College Students With Adhd And Adhd Symptoms, Haley Mcbride

Theses - ALL

College students with ADHD face several challenges in pursuit of higher education, including lower self-esteem, higher test anxiety, and increased risk for negative academic outcomes (lower GPA). Despite these challenges, a surprisingly small proportion (e.g., 54.4%) of this population utilize resources that could benefit them (e.g., disability accommodations, academic supports, medication, therapy). This study aimed to substantiate findings regarding lower self-esteem and higher test anxiety in college students with elevated ADHD symptoms and investigate self-esteem and test anxiety as factors associated with resource use for students with ADHD diagnoses. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 4,195 undergraduate students (278 with …

Wood-Plastic Composites Integration For Triboelectric Nanogenerator Electricity Generation, Hanbyeol Park, Razamala Yashna F. Dimaporo, Sophia Maureen A. Emperado, Anton Jefferson L. Pangilinan, Juan Carlo T. Gumangan

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Access to electricity in underdeveloped communities is particularly crucial in improving the living standards of people and alleviating poverty by promoting sustainable development. This study deals with the exploration of incorporating wood-plastic composite (WPC) – specifically wood pulp (W) and high-density polyethylene (H) – into triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) flooring system to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, promoting sustainable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving the quality of life, and serving as feasible flooring tiles. Two types of TENG tiles were prepared by using different WPC ratios: 30W:70H and 70W:30H. A static bending test was conducted to assess the flexural …

A Protection Or A Barrier? A Scoping Review Of Boundaries In Teacher-Student Relationships, Joseph Russell R. Santos

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Teacher-student relationships have differing potentialities in terms of importance and challenges, therefore implying the need for more effective navigation by placing healthy boundaries. However, the impact of this relationship and the boundary itself for both teachers and students need to be recognized to determine how they should be navigated. Doing so can give teachers and students healthier and more meaningful classroom experiences that align with the sustainable development goal of achieving optimal well-being and quality education. To examine the perceived importance and challenges of boundaries in teacher-student relationships, a scoping review was conducted. Eleven (11) out of the 29 studies …

Ilaw Ng Ibang Tahanan: Transnational Mothering Practices Of Overseas Filipina Domestic Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Arvin John C. Ramirez

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Filipino mothers traditionally serve as primary caregivers and, at times, as the main breadwinners for their families. With limited opportunities in the Philippines, many seek employment abroad, leaving their children behind. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority indicated that female Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) often engage in elementary jobs, including domestic work and caregiving. The COVID-19 pandemic added a challenge in fulfilling their maternal needs since health and safety have become everyone’s priority. This study investigates the transnational mothering practices of overseas Filipina domestic workers during the pandemic and how these practices differ from those before the health crisis. Through …

Self-Agency As A Strategy In Emergency Remote Learning Among Filipino Grade 10 Students, John Cris C. Tababa, Paul Andrei C. Apo, Golden Grace R. Gammaru, Audrey S. Manaay, Kathrin Anne N. Nadua, James Fhonzy Angelo S. Fontillo

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

The Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic significantly influences students' educational attainment as they actively find and rationalize knowledge obtained from emergency remote learning. As a response, the agency or the ability to regulate one’s learning provides the students with the ability to believe in themselves. Still, it also necessitates the deliberate consideration to create a plan of action and modify it as required to achieve one's objectives. This study obtained knowledge from emergency remote learning (ERL) experiences of Filipino Grade 10 Students in their Social Studies class. The researchers employed a phenomenological approach to understand the self-agency practices of Grade 10 …

Citation Practices Of Contrasting Cultures In Q1 Journal Articles, April Rose C. Gonzales

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Citation is a distinguishing feature in research writing that every researcher must include to ensure credible ethical research. Citing sources is necessary as it provides credit to the original author, refers to previous findings, sets credibility, and enables sustainability of the topic. However, studies least consider culture as an element that influences citation beliefs and practices. Most literature holds a lack of language proficiency as the culprit for poor citation skills. Drawing from Hofstede's Cultural Dimension theory (2011) and Lewis’ (2006) Cultural Behaviour in Relation to Writing, this study explores the influence of culture on citation practices with the hope …

Exploring Student Engagement In A Blended And Gamified Statistics And Probability: Designed With Learning Styles And Player Types, Reymund R. Gonowon

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

Educators are called to contribute towards achieving SDG 4: Quality Education. A major determinant in achieving this goal is providing learners with essential skills such as analyzing and interpreting data, making inferences, and driving evidence-based decisions which are the expected competencies in Statistics and Probability (STATPRO), one of the core subjects of the senior high school curriculum in the Philippines. To progress towards SDG 4, achieving the learning competencies of STATPRO is vital, however engaging students in a blended learning environment may be challenging. This study aims to explore the behavioral engagement of students in a gamified STATPRO class through …

Optimal Operation Scheduling Of Integrated Energy System Considering Energy Priority, Dongli Jia, Keyan Liu, Zhaoying Ren, Zezhou Wang, Dongsheng Tang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Integrated with the actual situation of power grid and the growth of new energy, a multiobjective model for optimal scheduling of the integrated energy system(IES) is established based on the analysis of the energy-flow relationship of the IES and taking into account the priority of energy utilization and the load demand response in terms of the mismatch between the distributed energy sources and the loads, the net benefit of the unit cost of the IES, and the load response degree. Combined with the equipment and the environmental benefits system, a priority constraint for energy utilization has been established for …

Research On Scheduling Strategies Simulation For Building Air-Conditioning Systems Based On Transfer Imitation Learning, Qiaochu Wang, Yan Ding, Chuanzhi Liang, Haozheng Zhang, Chen Huang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To solve the problem of unstable performance and inefficient training process of low-quality data conditions at the initial stage of online deployment of air conditioner scheduling, we propose a migration-imitation learning-based air conditioning scheduling strategy simulation method. Reinforcement learning methods are used to generate building operation strategies. A standard building simulation model serves as the source domain, upon which migration learning is applied. An imitation learning loss function is incorporated into the intelligent loss function to enhance algorithm performance. The results indicate that, compared with the non-use of migration learning, the proposed method can improve the operational efficiency by …

Behavioral Modeling Of Manned-Unmanned Cooperative Air Combat Based On Improved Abc Algorithm, Peng Wang, Haoyu Liu, Ni Li, Zexi Yu, Shangjie Jia

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To solve the problem of difficulty in establishing collaborative behavior models and weak adversarial capabilities in typical MAV/UAV air combat scenarios, a mixed decision based MAV/UAV behavior modeling framework is proposed. Using collaborative rule sets, rule subsets, tactical action sets, and other tools, a hierarchical decision collaborative behavior model supporting five types of collaborative tactics, including grinding tactics and unilateral flanking tactics, is constructed in this framework. a behavior model parameter optimization method based on an improved artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is proposed. By using the Mason rotation method to initialize the population, a better initial honey source …