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Traveling-Wave Vibration Control And Comparison Of Individuals With Insomnia And Good Sleepers Using Eeg Spectral Power And Sample Entropy, Joseph T. Lecheminant

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the intersection of whole-body vibration (WBV) and neurophysiological analysis to improve sleep quality and understanding of insomnia. The work is divided into two primary areas: the development of a novel traveling-wave vibration system for sleep enhancement and the analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) metrics in individuals with insomnia versus good sleepers. A vibrating sleep system capable of generating programmable traveling-wave patterns is designed and prototyped. Through iterative development and user trials, the system enables highly controlled mechanical stimulation in the form of traveling-wave vibration. Key advancements include independent amplitude and speed modulation and customizable wave patterns. Simple wave …

Donut Day, Amelia Krouse

Theses

Donut Day is a 2D animated short film that was produced by Amelia Krouse at the Rochester Institute of Technology from 2023-2024. It was her third short film produced, and was just over three minutes long. The short is a comedic narrative piece that depicts the struggles of an office worker chasing after a dropped ring.

An Experimental Investigation Of Signal Processing Techniques For Vibration-Based Structural Health Monitoring In Residential Buildings Subjected To Base Excitation, Fedaa Ali

Electrical Engineering Theses

Coastal regions, particularly in the southeastern United States, are consistently confronted with the ongoing threat of hurricane-induced damage to their buildings. Consequently, there is a pressing need to concentrate efforts on the evaluation and prediction of structural integrity and reliability in such environments. This is paramount for minimizing losses and enhancing public safety in the face of these challenging climatic conditions. Current structural health monitoring systems are typically customized for specific buildings, rendering them excessively expensive and impractical for residential structures. This research presents a comprehensive study of signal processing techniques and damage detection for an economical yet efficient structural …

A Study On Private Piano Curriculum Using Edwin Gordon’S Music Learning Theory, Cody Chandler

Masters Theses

This quantitative descriptive research study addresses the deficiencies in modern piano educational literature pertaining to aural development at the earliest stages of piano education. Contemporary piano methodologies often prioritize music notation over aural skill development during the initial stages of instruction. This study addresses this imbalance, offering insights into curriculum selection based on its influence on competition performance scores, music theory exam results, and student retention. The participants in this study are 329 piano students who began lessons between kindergarten and twelfth grade selected from five qualified piano teachers from 2010-2024. Data was collected by recording competition and festival scores, …

Impact Of Training For Nursing Staff In The Prevention Of Hapis, Onyinye E. Ohia, Colleen A. Anthony

Master's Projects

Abstract

Background: The incidence of Hospital acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) have remained a problem in healthcare despite concerted efforts by hospitals and other governmental agencies to eliminate the problem via policy and emphasis on safety. There is support in literature for the training of healthcare professionals as an important tool in the prevention and management of HAPIs. Despite the existence of studies that link training of nurses to a reduction in rates of HAPIs, evidence in support of that is still piecemeal; with poorly defined outcomes.

Aims and objectives: The aim of this integrative review is to identify …

Expanding The Toolbox Of Sustainable Business Law: The Transnational Impacts Of The Eu Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (Csddd), Anne-Marie Weber

Pace Environmental Law Review

The contemporary global economy relies extensively on interconnected value chains that often span different continents, presenting challenges when operations result in human rights violations or environmental damage. This has prompted the emergence of non-binding due diligence guidelines and binding laws in several countries, reflecting the necessity of fostering accountability in transnational business activities. The European Union’s adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) on May 24th, 2024, represents a novel significant milestone in this trajectory. As a new instrument of binding transnational business law, the CSDDD aims to promote sustainable business practices, with implications extending beyond EU borders. …

Barriers To Prompting And Shaping Techniques In Behavior Intervention For People With Autism, Olumuyiwa O. Fagbohun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated the barriers to effective prompting and shaping techniques in behavioral interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using a generic qualitative design grounded in Skinner’s behaviorism theory as a theoretical framework, the study was focused on the experiences of 10 behavioral intervention specialists with at least 5 years of experience implementing these techniques. Data from one-on-one interviews with 10 participants were analyzed using thematic analysis to reveal three key issues: insufficient integration of contingent reinforcement, neglect of environmental settings, and underutilization of comprehensive behavioral strategies. These findings highlight the need for treatment programs to adopt a …

Successful Strategies Used By Health Care Business Managers To Reduce Data Breaches, Amber Branson Rubis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective strategies to reduce data breaches in healthcare organizations can harm patient safety, erode trust, and jeopardize financial stability. Healthcare managers Healthcare managers must implement effective strategies to protect their organization's reputation and ensure long-term business stability. Grounded in protection motivation theory (PMT), the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies healthcare business managers used to reduce data breaches and sustain profitability. The participants were six healthcare business managers who had successfully implemented strategies to reduce data breaches and sustain profitability. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and public records. Using thematic analysis, four themes were identified: …

Effective Strategies Used By Trinidad And Tobago Financial Institution Leaders To Attract And Retain Small Businesses As Customers, Billy Brian Seaman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective strategies to attract and retain small to medium enterprises (SMEs) can significantly affect business revenue. Financial institution leaders in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) who fail to effectively engage and retain SMEs are at risk facing instability and long-term challenges. Grounded in relationship marketing theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore effective strategies used by T&T financial institution leaders to attract and retain SMEs. The participants were four financial institution leaders in T&T who effectively implemented strategies to attract and retain SMEs. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and publicly available documents. …

Harmonizing Impact: Aligning Nonprofit Mission With Key Performance Indicators, Mary Alice Dunphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Music school leaders struggle to balance delivering impactful programs with maintaining operational efficiencies. Developing effective strategies to address these inefficiencies is crucial for maximizing the impact of music education and ensuring long-term institutional success. Grounded in the Baldrige performance excellence framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies nonprofit leaders use to identify holistic performance measurements to enhance operational efficiencies and effectiveness. The participants were three senior leaders of the school. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and an analysis of internal documents and archival data. Through thematic analysis, five themes were identified: (a) …

Achieving Financial Resources For Women Of Color In Nonprofit Startup Organizations, Tanesha Nicole Graham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders, especially women of color, have been profoundly affected by a lack of strategies for obtaining capital for financial growth and viability. Nonprofit women of color business owners are struggling with the challenges of securing financial resources and maintaining business sustainability. Grounded in the Baldrige performance excellence framework (BPEF), the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore financial acquisition strategies that some women of color business owners need for long-term financial growth and viability in startup nonprofit organizations. The participant was one leader of a nonprofit business located in the southwestern part of San Bernardino County, …

Middle School Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Behaviors Among Middle School Students With Disabilities, Laurey Carthy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school students lack coping skills which cause misbehaviors and disruptions to their education. The misbehaviors are higher among middle school students with disabilities and middle school special education teachers are struggling to implement effective strategies to address the disruptive behaviors of their students` in a suburban Northeastern school district. Guided by Skinner’s theory of behaviorism, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of middle school special education teachers about student behaviors/misbehaviors and to determine what teaching strategies middle school special education teachers need to incorporate into their classrooms. Data were collected through nine semi …

Exploring K-3 Teachers’ Perspectives Of Effective Resources And Strategies Used To Close Student Learning Gaps In Reading, Samantha Lott-Velez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This qualitative study explores the perspectives of effective K-3 teachers on the resources and strategies they use to close student learning gaps in reading. Despite decades of federal and state initiatives, including Response to Intervention (RTI), differentiation, and the Science of Reading, a significant number of students, especially those in economically disadvantaged communities, continue to struggle with reading proficiency. Through a narrative qualitative design, this study examines the experiences of highly effective elementary teachers working in an urban Title I school district to identify the most impactful instructional approaches for accelerating student reading achievement.

Data was collected through one-on-one interviews …

Exploring Dependence Of Rapid Thermal Annealed Ag/Ito Bilayer Films Properties On The Systematic Ag Layer Thickness Increment For Bifacial Czts Solar Cell Application, Emmanuel R Ollotu, Justine Nyarige, Margaret E Samiji, Nuru R Mlyuka

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study investigated the impact of Ag layer thickness on the properties of rapid thermal annealed Ag/ITO bilayer films, aimed at addressing conductivity loss in ITO substrates used as a back contact for optoelectronic applications, such as bifacial CZTS solar cells. Ag layers of varying thickness (10 nm, 20 nm, 30 nm, and 40 nm) were sputter-deposited onto a commercially acquired ITO-coated glass substrate and rapidly thermally annealed. The samples’ characterization was performed using AFM, XRD, four-point probe, Hall Effect measurements, and UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry. Results indicated that thinner Ag layers exhibited relatively stable surfaces with uniformly distributed grains, smaller roughness, …

What Makes A Great Movie Trailer?​, Bridget Hill

Honors Projects

This research analyzes four case study films across two genres to identify the best tactics used in trailer marketing and editing in order to create box office successful films that attract their identified target audiences. Existing research and a pre-existing interview were used to identify and define these tactics before then applying the strategies onto existing film trailers. The two genres chosen in this analysis include Romantic Comedies and Animated Action/Adventure Family Films. In each genre, a successful and unsuccessful film were chosen then compared against one another to determine if the successful film trailers utilized the previously identified tactics. …

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund For The Year Ended June 30, 2024, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Financial and Compliance Audit Reports

No abstract provided.

The Tennessee Local Development Authority For The Year Ended June 30, 2024, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Financial and Compliance Audit Reports

No abstract provided.

The Tennessee State School Bond Authority For The Year Ended June 30, 2024, Tennessee. Comptroller Of The Treasury.

Financial and Compliance Audit Reports

No abstract provided.

Exploring Job Demands That Increase Burnout Rates Among Secondary, Public, Interrelated Special Education Teachers: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Wendy M. Turner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology is to understand the experiences of secondary, interrelated, public-school teachers in Georgia and their job demands and job resources that affect the development of burnout syndrome. There are two theories guiding this study: the burnout theory and the job demands-resources theory. These theories work together to frame understanding and guide the research questions for this phenomenological study. The burnout theory lays the foundation for identifying the characteristics of burnout syndrome while the job demands-resources theory allows us to identify specific characteristics of the job that can increase or decrease the likelihood of special education …

The Psychological And Spiritual Experiences Of Christian Caregivers Of Physically Or Mentally Disabled Family Members, Doneshia Burns

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aimed to understand the lived experiences of Christian caregivers caring for mentally or physically ill family members. This qualitative phenomenological study described the psychological and spiritual influence of caring for mentally or physically ill family members. The first question that the researcher attempted to answer was: What lived experiences do family caregivers experience when caring for loved ones with physical or mental disabilities? The second question that was explored was: How does caring for loved ones influence Christian family caretakers' spiritual well-being. The third question explored how caring for loved ones influences Christian family caretakers' psychological or mental …

A Qualitative Study Of Emdr Clinician Treatment Modality Choice And Client Needs, Carole Petrides Bakke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative research study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of clinicians practicing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in the state of Nebraska and their choice of treatment modality, between the audio, visual, and kinesthetic techniques of EMDR. As an evidenced-based treatment therapy, EMDR has been shown to decrease the symptoms of distress in clients with a history of trauma and the treatment of choice for clients with a diagnosis of PTSD. A qualitative approach was used to assess the possible connection between the EMDR techniques as factors in individual preferences and …

Contact Refusal In Children And Adolescents Post-Parental Separation, Ashten N. Gallagher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and understand the underlying themes in contact refusal between a parent and a child through a developmentally sensitive lens. This study examines how trauma, relational dynamics, and developmental stages influence a child’s refusal to engage with a parent post-separation or divorce. The theories guiding this research include Erikson’s psychosocial development stages (Erikson, 1950, 1968), which highlight how children’s developmental needs and challenges impact their relational attachments. Additionally, the diagnostic framework for complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) as outlined by the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases 11 (Cloitre et al., …

An Orphan Kinesin In Trypanosoma Brucei Regulates Hook Complex Assembly And Golgi Biogenesis, Qing Zhou, Yasuhiro Kurasawa, Huiqing Hu, Thiago Souza Onofre, Ziyin Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Kinesins are microtubule-based motor proteins that play diverse cellular functions by regulating microtubule dynamics and intracellular transport in eukaryotes. The early branching kinetoplastid protozoan Trypanosoma brucei has an expanded repertoire of kinetoplastid-specific kinesins and orphan kinesins, many of which have unknown functions. We report here the identification of an orphan kinesin named KIN-G that plays an essential role in maintaining hook complex integrity and promoting Golgi biogenesis in T. brucei. KIN-G localizes to the distal portion of the centrin arm of the flagellum-associated hook complex through association with the centrin arm protein TbCentrin4. Knockdown of KIN-G in T. brucei …

Cellular Air Quality Sensors With Lora Backchannel A Robust Sensor Suited For Remote Deployment In Harsh Environments, Joseph R. Miera

Theses and Dissertations

Air quality significantly impacts health and overall quality of life, making its measurement essential. However, most affordable air quality devices are designed only for use within WiFi range and cannot handle extreme temperatures, limiting their usefulness for people in remote or extreme environments, such as regions with harsh winter climates. This limitation is concerning, as winter often brings worse air quality due to temperature inversions that trap pollutants and increase fuel burning for heating. Inversion is a problem as close to home as Utah Valley, and as far away as Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Most low-cost air quality sensors are not built …

Book Review: Hojas Sueltas., Emil' Keme

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Hojas sueltas. by Daniel Caño.

Quetzaltenango Guatemala. POE, 2024. 204 pp

ISBN 978-9929-732-17-9.

As an alternative to the standard book review, Maya America has reprinted the prologue to Hojas Sueltas, which was written by Emil’ Keme. Also, this year, Daniel Caño published another new book, Versos improvisados. Daniel can be reached at [email protected].

Document is in Spanish.

Maya America Vol. 6 Iss 2 - Front Matter, Maya America Editors

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Front Matter includes the covers and Introductory Note

Non–Invasive Vulvovaginal Rejuvenation: A Review, Jesryn Dhillon, Nelva Karmila Jusuf

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Non–invasive vulvovaginal rejuvenation is a promising option for women who want to restore the appearance and function of the vagina. Vaginal atrophy and vulvovaginal laxity are caused by several circumstances, including ageing, menopause, delivery, and others. Until now, non–invasive vulvovaginal rejuvenation has not been medically indicated, but it is estimated to be the focus of cosmetic dermatology in the future.

Discussion: Non–invasive vulvovaginal rejuvenation can be divided into two methods: using energy-based devices and injectables. Carbon dioxide, Erbium:YAG laser and radiofrequency are the commonly used energy-based devices. Injectables most frequently used are hyaluronic acid and platelet–rich plasma. Some additional …

Mexican Health And Aging Study Biomarker And Genetic Data Profile, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Jesús Daniel Zazueta-Borboa, Alejandra Michaels-Obregon, Dolly Reyes-Dumeyer, Sandra Barral, Giuseppe Tosto, Rebeca Wong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) is one of the largest ongoing longitudinal studies of aging in Latin America, with six waves over 20 years. MHAS includes sociodemographic, economic, and health data from a nationally representative sample of adults 50 years and older in urban and rural Mexico. MHAS is designed to study the impact of diseases on adults' health, function, and mortality. As Mexico is experiencing rapid population aging, providing adequate information to study this phenomenon is vital for designing and implementing public policies. The availability of biomarker and genetic data and longitudinal survey data elevates opportunities for …

Diversity And Characteristics Of The Oral Microbiome Associated With Self-Reported Ancestral/Ethnic Groups, Qingguo Wang, Bing-Yan Wang, She'neka Williams, Hua Xie

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Periodontitis disproportionately affects genetic ancestral/ethnic groups. To characterize the oral microbiome from different genetic ancestral/ethnic groups, we collected 161 dental plaque samples from self-identified African Americans (AAs), Caucasian Americans (CAs), and Hispanic Americans (HAs) with clinical gingival health or biofilm-induced gingivitis on an intact periodontium. DNA was extracted from these samples, and then DNA libraries were prepared and sequenced using an Illumina NovaSeq high-throughput sequencer. We found significant differences in the diversity and abundance of microbial taxa among dental plaque samples of the AA, CA, and HA groups. We also identified unique microbial species in a self-reported ancestral/ethnic group. Moreover, …

Etherealbreathing: A Holographic Biofeedback Game To Support Relaxation In Autistic Children, Arturo Morales Téllez, Isabel López Hurtado, Franceli L. Cibrian, Monica Tentori

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Biofeedback training for box breathing is becoming increasingly accessible due to advancements in consumer-grade breathing sensors. However, there is limited research on their design and applications for specialized populations. This study evaluates a novel biofeedback holographic game, EtherealBreathing, designed to support autistic children. In EtherealBreathing, children practice box breathing to collect virtual elements to maintain the Earth's balance, using a wearable sensor to measure chest expansion for breath detection. A deployment study with 20 autistic children revealed that EtherealBreathing effectively promotes box breathing, leading to better health-related outcomes, such as lowering participants’ heart and respiratory rates than traditional practices. Biofeedback …