Digital Commons Network^™

Military Members Mental Health And Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Mediating Role Of Mental Toughness, Maureen Kenyon James

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military members’ mental health has been in the spotlight for many years. Although Australia and the United States have strong, robust forces, exposure to this high-stress environments can take its toll. This study is important to keep our armed forces in top mental and physical health and look after them post-service. We need to know what can protect mental health and how to minimize the risks to health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to ask the question, “To what extent are Adverse childhood experiences related to military members' mental health status, and is this relationship mediated by …

Racial Reconciliation In Black And White: A Qualitative Study Of Live Mississippi Blues Music Communication, Christian Patterson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research effort is to investigate a problem regarding communication between Black and White Mississippians in live Mississippi blues music settings. The central research question for this study is as follows: Can live Mississippi blues music communication be used as a tool to strengthen race relations between Black and White Mississippians? Few studies exist regarding this matter. Understanding this phenomenon is relevant because racial reconciliation is critical to the Magnolia State’s future success, and research has proven that music can unify individuals. To facilitate comprehension, a thorough literature review describes Mississippi’s racial challenges from the …

Mental Illness In African American Women: A Transcendental Phenomenology On Self-Efficacy And The Treatment-Seeking Behavior Of Secondary And Post-Secondary Educators, Sasha N. Gordon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological research shows the influence of mental health treatment on the self-efficacy of African American women who are secondary or post-secondary educators in Northern Illinois. For African American women educators, taking care of their mental well-being and being aware of mental health conditions are crucial. Sharing personal stories and experiences can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. Promoting awareness and understanding of mental health issues are vital in our communities, and access to resources and support are necessary. Using self-identity theory can aid in comprehending motivations and behaviors, leading to greater satisfaction and fulfillment and the prioritization …

Planning In Advance (Pia): Teaching London Seventh-Day-Adventist Church Leaders In Providing Spiritual Care For Dying And Mourning Parishioners, Walace Saint Louis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The London Seventh-Day Adventist Church (LSDAC), Maybee, Michigan, grapples with the lack of trained leaders in EoL to provide pastoral care for dying and mourning African American parishioners. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to educate LSDAC leaders in providing spiritual care for their congregants as lay chaplains. The city of Maybee contains 612 people, with 95 % Caucasians and 5% other racial groups. The LSDAC membership is 99% African Americans and 1% Caucasians. It has around 30 members.

The philosophical concept of this research lies in the presuppositions that African Americans prefer spiritual EoL care from …

The Role Of Resilience And Coping Strategies Among African American College Athletes, Angela R. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study examined the relationship between resilience-type coping strategies, stress, and positive well-being among 110 NCAA Division I African American college athletes. This study utilized seven validated scales: Minority Stress Scale (MSS-37), Brief-Coping Orientation to Problems Experience (COPE-28), Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI-28), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS=10), Coping Schemas Inventory-Revised (CSI-R), WHO Positive Well-Being (WHO-5), and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-Sp-12). These scales measured levels of social support (emotional and informational support), hopefulness/optimism (freedom from worry), active/coping/flexibility/resourcefulness (goal setting, peaking under pressure, coachability, and confidence), good emotional-regulation and self-awareness (coping with adversity and concentration), finding meaning …

Implementing A Patient Decision Aid Tool To Improve Knowledge Of Lung Cancer Screening And Lung Cancer Screening Rates In A Primary Care Setting, Emily Evans Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

It is well known that lung cancer is a devastating disease affecting many individuals in the United States. Through education and early screening efforts, lung cancers can be identified earlier when they can be more easily treated. This evidence-based practice project was developed for the purpose of improving patient and provider knowledge of lung cancer screening and to increase lung cancer screenings in primary care. The evidence-based lung cancer screening educational tool, referred to as a patient decision aid tool, was implemented in a family medicine practice setting over a 10-week period. After the 10-week implementation, there was an increase …

United In Purpose: Establishing Community Partnerships Amongst District-Level Music Education Programs And After-School Music Organizations In Delaware, Malcolm S. Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the benefits of Music Education Programs in Delaware, there was a critical need to build community partnerships to enrich the music learning experience for all participants. This research explored implementing change by connecting with community leaders and organizations. It gathered perspectives from music educators, students and their parents, school administrators, community organization leaders, and after-school program directors. A qualitative, programmatic evaluative approach was applied to examine the impact of these community partnerships between district-level music programs in Delaware. The study addressed the purpose and framework of alliances, the need for establishing and maintaining them, and potential barriers to sustainable …

Title I Music Programs In Tennessee: Administrative Decisions In Allocated Funding, Aisha R. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study of this project overviews a qualitative research study on the lack of funding for music education programs through allocated funding for Title I schools. The research reflects the choices made by the administration in different Title I schools and how these funds are applied. Classroom resources needed to develop these music education classes include performance equipment, instruments, and more. The state of Tennessee allocates a certain amount of funding for every school. However, most of these funds are used for testing, leaving the remainder of the funds available for music programs. Because the administration controls the funds, music …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Female First-Generation College Students As They Matriculate Through College: A Phenomenological Study, Rosa Denise Mcallister-Mcrae

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of African American female first-generation college students’ (FGCS) academic, social, emotional, and low economic challenges while attending either a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) or a Predominately White Institution (PWI) located in the southeastern area of the United States. First-generation college students are students whose parents never attended college. Tinto’s retention theory was the framework that guided the research, particularly, the challenges faced by first-generation students. The central research question was, how do African American female FGCSs describe their lived experiences matriculating through an HBCU or …

Exploring The Uses And Gratifications Of Higher Education Online Multimedia Instructional Tools: A Qualitative Study, Shelby Lord

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study examined the communication goals that motivate California Community College (CCC) faculty to employ multimedia instructional tools in their online classes. Additionally, this study investigated the positive and negative impacts of multimedia instructional tools on faculty-to-student communication. A qualitative research method was utilized for this research study. Findings were obtained from June 2024 through August 2024 using 25 qualitative semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Participants were faculty who were currently teaching remote classes through the CCC system, faculty who approved the informed consent for the study, and faculty who agreed to participate in a semi-structured interview. A thematic analysis process …

Edification, Exhortation, And Consolation In A Prophetic Context, Drorester Ornas Alexander Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to 1 Corinthians 14 and Ephesians 4, edifying one another is necessary for building Christ’s body in love. Wayne Grudem, a notable theologian, stated that the gift of prophecy in the New Testament is “a human being reporting in merely human words something that God has brought to mind.” The researcher explored how and in what way people are affected by the words of prophecy in a New Testament context. Does the gift of prophecy in Christian music recordings from 2014 to 2024 provide consolation, edification, and exhortation to individuals identifying with Continuationists?

In examining songs containing prophetic contours, …

Exploring Nutrition Teachers' Perspectives Of Enacted Nutrition Policies To Address Childhood Obesity In The Bahamas, Shondell M. De Velde

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain a comprehensive understanding of nutrition teachers' perspectives on enacted nutrition policies aimed at combating childhood obesity in The Bahamas. The central phenomenon of the study is teachers' perspectives of enacted nutrition policies to address childhood obesity in The Bahamas. The Health Belief Model (HBM) developed by Irwin M. Rosenstock in the 1950s was used to provide a theoretical framework, that can be used to understand nutrition teachers' perceptions and actions related to enacted nutrition policies. The HBM delves into an individual’s motivation to accept healthy behavior and is thus constructed to …

Progress & Reconciliation: The Legacy Of The Southern Military Tradition At The Carlisle School (1892 - 1930), Jesse Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the evolution of southern progressivism and national reconciliation from 1892 to 1930 through the lens of the Carlisle Military School in Bamberg, South Carolina. By analyzing archival documents related to the school's history and local newspapers from Bamberg County, this research reveals how southern progressivism influenced changes in the school's mission and the actions of its leadership leading up to World War I. The study highlights how South Carolina and Bamberg County played pivotal roles in advancing national reconciliation through programs and evolving missions at the Carlisle Military School. The years surrounding World War I acted as …

Stopping The Transference: Family Resilience Concerning High Adverse Childhood Experience Through A Genogram Study Of Southern Appalachian Storytelling Culture, Brittany Shay Teague

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of multi-generational Appalachian storytellers and their culture to discover if there was a decrease in Adverse Childhood Experiences and increase resilience across generations. Vygotsky's Communication Theory, which emphasizes child development through language and communication, and Masten’s Resilience Theory, which emphasizes that children can develop resilience with the assistance of their caregivers, guided this study. The research questions asked were as follows: How do they describe the impact of storytelling and genograms on resilience and intergenerational transference?  How do they describe the importance of storytelling? How would they describe …

The Role Of Camaraderie In The Moods Of African American U.S. Military Veterans With Ptsd: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Virginia K. Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the essence of the collective lived experiences of United States military veterans of African American ethnicity who were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the role that camaraderie plays in their moods. Veterans are a marginalized group who often feel they are rejected by society, but as Christians, we should be interested in human beings, promoting their well-being, and practicing psychology as an act of love. Guided by social identity theory and social justice theory, this study was aimed to gain understanding of how group memberships and social categorization …

Accessing Cancer Care Through A Community Diagnostic Clinic, Joy Lynn Bartholomew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Access to diagnostic centers, innovative cancer research and best clinical practices is limited outside metropolitan areas and academic institutions. Cancer patients in rural communities are a marginalized population faced with unique barriers to high quality care from early detection through screening, streamlined diagnostics, and participation in clinical trials. One-stop clinics (OSC) in the community setting may lessen the diagnostic interval (DI), reduce the economic burden of unnecessary imagining or procedures, minimize sociodemographic discrepancies, and positively affect time to treatment and clinical trial participation. The first step is to better understand the community cancer population and their diagnostic journey. Next, an …

Protect Small Businesses: Addressing Security Threats And Insider Risks, Alan Saquella

Publications

Small businesses face unique security challenges that make them highly vulnerable compared to larger organizations. While large companies often have dedicated teams of cybersecurity experts, fraud examiners, investigators and the resources to implement robust security measures, small businesses typically operate with limited budgets and minimal staff, making them prime targets for a variety of internal and external threats.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy In Trauma Patients With Grade Iv-V Duodenal Or Pancreatic Injuries: A Post Hoc Analysis Of An East Multicenter Trial, Rachel Leah Choron, Charoo Piplani, Julia Kuzinar, Amanda L. Teichman, Christopher Bargoud, Jason D. Sciarretta, Randi N. Smith, Dustin Hanos, Iman N. Afif, Jessica H. Beard, Navpreet Kaur Dhillon, Ashling Zhang, Mira Ghneim, Rebekah Devasahayam, Oliver Gunter, Alison A. Smith, Brandi Sun, Chloe S. Cao, Jessica K. Reynolds, Lauren A. Hilt, Daniel N. Holena, Grace Chang, Meghan Jonikas, Karla Echeverria-Rosario, Nathaniel S. Fung, Aaron Anderson, Caitlin A. Fitzgerald, Ryan Peter Dumas, Jeremy H. Levin, Et Al

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The utility of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for high-grade traumatic injuries remains unclear and data surrounding its use are limited. We hypothesized that PD does not result in improved outcomes when compared with non-PD surgical management of grade IV-V pancreaticoduodenal injuries. METHODS: This is a retrospective, multicenter analysis from 35 level 1 trauma centers from January 2010 to December 2020. Included patients were ≥ 15 years of age with the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade IV-V duodenal and/or pancreatic injuries. The study compared operative repair strategy: PD versus non-PD. RESULTS: The sample (n=95) was young (26 years), male …

Factors Associated With Cognitive Flexibility In People With Opioid-Use Disorder: A Pilot Study, Paul S. Regier, Thais Costa Macedo De Arruda, Laura Sinko, Anne M. Teitelman, Anna Rose Childress

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

The ability to adapt to changing circumstances has strong survival value. Individuals with substance use disorders tend to get "stuck" over-responding to drug-reward signals and pursuing drugs despite negative consequences. A lack of flexibility may be tied to impairments in neurocognition, including learning, memory, and executive function. However, results are often mixed, potentially due to heterogeneity in factors such as mental health, personality traits, or prior adversity. This study aimed to identify which factors influence neurocognitive variations within the opioid use disorder (OUD) population. Based on prior literature, we hypothesized that individuals with OUD would show deficits (vs. controls) in …

Optimal Beamforming Design For Stability And Performance Of Uav Formations, Wanyue Lin, Andrew Clark

Electrical and Systems Engineering Undergraduate Student Research

This paper explores the application of multi-loop Wireless Networked Control Systems (WNCS) for managing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) formations. A multi-antenna base station (BS) employs beamforming (BF) technology to communicate with and control multiple UAVs simultaneously. Given the inherent uncertainty and stochastic nature of wireless channels and control system dynamics, we propose a joint communication-control strategy to ensure an accurate, stable, and efficient system. Our objective is to minimize the weighted sum of state error and communication costs while maintaining system stability and adhering to transmission power constraints by adapting BF weight vectors. The benefits of the BF design are …

Transfer Processes For 2d And 3d Nanomembrane Materials For Flexible Device Fabrication, Noah Zheng

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Electronic devices made from heterostructures of 2D layers, 3D nanomembranes, and metallic contacts can realize performance benefits over traditional Silicon-based devices while also exhibiting physical properties such as flexibility and transparency. These novel materials have the potential to unlock new electronic form factors, greatly increasing the applicability of electronic devices. Flexible, biocompatible devices are particularly sought after to facilitate in-vivo health sensing. The diversity of 2D and 3D nanomembrane materials, however, necessitates that many different processes be developed for their production. Often, novel materials must be grown on special wafers to avoid lattice mismatch and ensure crystallinity, then transferred to …

Author Correction: Single-Cell And Spatial Proteo-Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Immune Infiltration Heterogeneity Associated With Neuroendocrine Features In Small Cell Lung Cancer, Ying Jin, Yuefeng Wu, Alexandre Reuben, Liang Zhu, Carl M Gay, Qingzhe Wu, Xintong Zhou, Haomin Mo, Qi Zheng, Junyu Ren, Zhaoyuan Fang, Teng Peng, Nan Wang, Liang Ma, Lungevity Panshi Initiative Consortium, Yun Fan, Hai Song, Jianjun Zhang, Ming Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

The Influences Of External And Sideways Factors On The Introduction Of English As A Medium Of Instruction Programs In East Asian Countries, Sainbayar Gundsambuu

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Cultural Capital And Higher Education Expectations: Insights From Pisa 2018, Doo Rhee Lee

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Analysis Of African American Clergy And Congregation Weight Loss Interventions, Linda Fay Carper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological study examines the lived experiences of Houston African American clergy regarding their roles and effectiveness in leading weight loss interventions within their faith-based communities. The research addresses the gap in peer-reviewed literature on the impact of Houston-area African American faith-based leadership on the success of weight loss initiatives. Grounded in the Transtheoretical Theory, the study explores clergy perceptions of decisional balance, self-efficacy, and processes of change to inform future health interventions. Ten purposive participants, meeting the inclusion criteria of being clergy leaders in Houston-based congregations with at least 50% African American membership, shared their insights. Data were collected …

Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions About Strategies To Teach Reading Comprehension, Carol Judd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the challenges teachers faced in teaching reading comprehension to secondary students within the study school. Reading comprehension is a key skill for academic success, yet many students struggle to understand complex texts in subjects such as history, science, and mathematics. The purpose of this research is to assess how teachers perceive the integration of reading strategies in core content areas and the impact of professional development on their teaching practices. The conceptual framework used to guide this study was the social cognitive theory of self-efficacy, which suggests that teachers' beliefs in their abilities to implement effective strategies …

Symptoms Of Academic Burnout In Associate Degree Nursing Students, Laura J. Witherspoon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic burnout may contribute to high attrition in associate degree nursing (ADN) students because academic burnout affects academic success, causes physical and mental health problems, and decreases self-esteem. Academic burnout may be more prevalent in ADN students because ADN programs are shorter but more intense. The purpose of this study, guided by Maslach’s multidimensional theory of burnout, was to examine the relationship between time in the ADN program and symptoms of academic burnout in nursing student participants and the difference in academic burnout among the four semesters in the ADN students. Maslach’s Burnout Inventory-General survey for students was emailed to …

The Impact Of Counselor Educators’ Unprofessional Behavior On Students, Kristin Alyssa Dolph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current research into Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited counseling programs has provided data that counselor educators and supervisors (CESs) who conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner affect their colleagues, peers, and students. Although there is an existing problem of unprofessionalism impacting students, there is a dearth of information on this exploration through a qualitative lens. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of counseling students impacted by their CESs displaying unprofessional behaviors. Participants were master’s-level counseling students in a brick and mortar CACREP-accredited program who were either …

Choice-Of-Law For Employment Contracts: A Comparative Analysis Of Texas And Louisiana Approaches To The Enforceability Of Noncompete Agreements, Claire Monsour

Journal of Civil Law Studies

Employment contracts that cross state lines often raise complex legal issues, particularly when they involve noncompete agreements. This article examines and compares the different approaches taken by Texas and Louisiana regarding the enforceability of non-compete agreements. Texas courts exercise broad discretion in deciding whether to enforce a parties’ choice-of-law provision, often leading to inconsistent and unpredictable outcomes in noncompete disputes. This approach undermines party autonomy, incentivizes forum shopping, and allows courts to manipulate outcomes based on unclear standards of “fundamental public policy.” Louisiana courts, on the other hand, are relatively consistent in their choice-of-law analyses in noncompete disputes. In contrast …

Notes From The Field: School-Based Surveillance Of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Trends And Impact On School Attendance By Students And Staff Members - Missouri, Fall 2024., Olivia M. Almendares, Brittney Fritschmann, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Brian R. Lee, Chris Edens, Maureen Diaz, Brett Whitaker, Shannon Tilsworth, Janelle Porter, Nibha Sagar, Jennifer E. Schuster, Jennifer Goldman, Hannah L. Kirking

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.