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Academic Drift In Indonesian Islamic Higher Education: An Empirical Study Of The State Islamic University Of Mataram, Ade Alimah

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Many higher education institutions imitate one another to achieve upward movement, a phenomenon known as academic drift. While this trend is widely acknowledged, the existing academic literature primarily focuses on developed nations. This research aims to investigate how academic drift occurs in Indonesian Islamic higher education, particularly through institutional transformations that involve institutes transitioning to universities.

This qualitative study examines academic drift at the State Islamic University of Mataram, Indonesia. To gather extensive data, in-depth interviews were conducted with participants from this university, representatives from two leading public Islamic universities, and senior officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Our …

The Communicative Constitution Of Resilience In Graduate-Student Parenthood: Ventriloqual Analysis, Intersectionality, And Sociomaterial Assemblages, Lin Lin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Graduate education is often organized around norms of uninterrupted productivity, flexibility, and professional availability, making graduate study especially challenging for students who are simultaneously raising children. Although prior research has documented the structural barriers faced by graduate student parents (GSPs), less attention has been paid to how resilience is communicatively enacted within the intersection of academic work and family life. This dissertation examines how GSPs communicatively constitute resilience while navigating work-life disruptions. Drawing on Communication Theory of Resilience (CTR) and the communicative constitution of organizations (CCO) perspective, particularly ventriloqual analysis, this study explores how resilience emerges through interactions among human …

Science Sojourners: The (Un)Making Of Women Scientists From China To America, Jane Jia-Yin Wang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Science is often imagined as a borderless profession in which knowledge, careers, and talent circulate freely across national boundaries. Yet scientific careers remain embedded within institutions that correspond to immigration regimes, geopolitical tensions, and unequal social structures. Drawing on 32 in-depth interviews with early-career Chinese women scientists trained in the U.S., this dissertation examines how globally mobile scientists navigate decisions about careers, migration, and everyday life between China and the U.S.

Rather than treating migration as a series of discrete decisions driven by labor markets or state policies, this dissertation argues that career and life orientations are fundamentally intertwined through …

Perceptions Of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy And Standard Interventions For Nicotine Cessation, Philip Kamilar-Britt

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Clinical trials suggest potential therapeutic utility of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) for nicotine cessation. In response to promising outcomes, research into PAP for nicotine dependence is growing. However, attitudes towards PAP among the general public, especially daily nicotine users, remains understudied. To address this knowledge gap, we recruited daily nicotine users (N=534) to complete an anonymous online survey with questions on demographics, nicotine use, prior history with psychedelics, and attitudes towards PAP and standard interventions for nicotine cessation. As hypothesized, daily nicotine users were more familiar with standard interventions and rated them more favorably than PAP. Despite differences in treatment attitudes, …

On Quantum Processes And The Epistemic Constraints, Varun Immanuel Premkumar Immanuel

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This doctoral dissertation on the foundations of quantum theory tells the story of a conceptual protagonist I have called “Epistemic Constraint.” Here, epistemic constraints are the definite, intersubjectively agreeable, ordinary-language conditions under which experiments are described.

The usual formulation of the quantum measurement problem, which I call the Schrodingerian measurement problem, has the structure of an anomaly: if we take quantum theory at face value, we expect no definite values, and yet we see definite values in experiments. The responses to this problem have been either to solve it or to dissolve it. These responses, which have taken the form …

Psychometric Assessment Of The Facilitative Systemic Intervention Skills Rating System– Spanish Version, Sarah J. Crosky

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Despite the growing understanding of therapist factors in client outcomes, there remains limited understanding of the skills that distinguish effective family therapists. The aim of the present study was to assess the interrater reliabilities and factorial structure of a Spanish version of the Facilitative Systemic Intervention Skills (FSIS; Jones et al., 2023a), an observational rating system for evaluating the skillfulness of family therapists in delivering systemic interventions. The FSIS includes eight empirically and theoretically informed systemic therapy skills (Inclusiveness, Empathy for Relational Difficulties, Responsiveness to Safety Concerns, Collaborative Stance, Conceptualizing Family Problems Systemically, Responsiveness to Disparate Goals, Focus on Family …

Intergroup Relationship Attitudes Among Multicultural Adolescents In South Korea: Friendship, Dating, And Marriage, Jeewoo Shin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation asks how multicultural adolescents in South Korea develop their attitudes toward crossing group boundaries in social and intimate life—whom they would accept as a close friend, a romantic partner, and a spouse—and what factors shape these attitudes. Korea’s immigrant population has grown more than seventyfold since 1990, largely through marriage migration, and the children of those unions are now reaching adulthood. Research on these adolescents has focused on how well they adjust, leaving open how they themselves come to view relationships across group lines.

Using eight annual waves of the Multicultural Adolescent Panel Study (N = 1,112), which …

Cognate Awareness Training For Novice L2 Learners: Orthographic And Phonological Routes To Vocabulary Learning, Jennifer M. Martin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Within the study of cross-linguistic influence, research on cognate facilitation has consistently shown that proficient bilinguals process cognates (e.g., English “sock” and German “Socke”) more efficiently than non-cognates. However, less is known about how novice adult learners may benefit from these similarities during the earliest stages of second language acquisition or how instructional interventions might facilitate this process. This dissertation addressed this gap through experiments with English-speaking adults learning German. A series of experiments examined the effects of cross-linguistic similarity and explicit cognate awareness training on vocabulary acquisition. Experiment 1A found robust similarity effects in written recall and …

A Comprehensive Investigation Of Service Utilization In Innovative Models Of Hepatitis C Care And Treatment For Persons Who Inject Drugs In New York State, Amanda C. Sue

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most prevalent blood-borne infection in the United States and is primarily transmitted through the sharing of unsterilized drug injection equipment. With surges in opioid overdose deaths, there has been an increase in people diagnosed with HCV that can be attributed to persons who inject drugs (PWID) in the United States. PWID have therefore been identified as a priority population to achieve the goal of eliminating HCV as a public health threat. Despite the availability of safe and effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies that can cure people with HCV, uptake of HCV treatment in PWID …

Weather-Related Road Condition Detection Using Co-Developed Machine Learning Methods, Carly Sutter

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Transportation agencies make critical operational decisions during hazardous weather events, including assessment of road conditions and resource allocation. In this study, machine learning models are developed to provide additional support for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) by automatically classifying road conditions across the state. Convolutional neural networks and random forests are trained on NYSDOT roadside camera images and weather data to predict road surface conditions. This task draws critically on a labeled dataset of 22,000 camera images containing six road surface conditions (severe snow, snow, wet, dry, poor visibility, and obstructed) generated from an iterative hand-labeling process …

Through Our Eyes: An Exploration Of Hope Among Opportunity Youth, Judith L. Fenlon

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Opportunity youth—young people aged 16–24 who are disconnected from both school and employment—experience significant barriers to successful transitions into adulthood. Existing research has largely focused on deficits, risk factors, and outcomes associated with disconnection, often overlooking the strengths, resilience, and aspirations of these young people. Hope has been identified as a critical factor associated with educational achievement, psychological well-being and future orientation; however, little research has explored how opportunity youth experience hope in the context of systemic inequities. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of hope among low-income opportunity youth and to examine the factors …

Masses And The Gothic In The English Novel: 1700-1820, Szu Ying Chen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation studies the eighteenth-century English novel and expands the understanding of realism by rereading realist novels through Gothic representations of the masses. The conventional understanding of realism is shaped by Ian Watt’s canonical concept of “formal realism” in The Rise of the Novel and Jürgen Habermas’s conception of the bourgeois public sphere. It identifies realism with a vision of civility grounded in the modern individual and bourgeois social reality. However, the masses and the Gothic challenge this conception of the novel’s realism by representing the social as constituted by collective agency, political violence, and struggles over power rather than …

An Educational Intervention On Mutual Goal Setting For Hospital Nurses: A Mixed-Methods Study, Teresa Jerofke-Owen, Kristi Opper, Joseph Beiler, Maharaj Singh

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background:

Including patients in mutual goal setting is one mechanism to personalize care delivery and improve patient outcomes.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a nurse educational intervention about mutual goal setting on nurse engagement and self-efficacy for goal setting and the nurse/patient experience of goal setting.

Methods:

During this explanatory, sequential mixed-methods study, nurse engagement in goal setting and goal quality was assessed through chart audits 1-month pre-intervention (n = 173) and 1 and 3-months (n = 144, n = 137) post-intervention. Nurse self-efficacy was measured with the Appraisal Inventory Tool. Patient experience …

Scalable Transfer Of Dna Origami–Directed Nanoparticle Arrays Onto Functional Surfaces Using Thermal Release Tape, Yuwei Zhang, Chikadibia Genevieve Edward, Ethan Keuhn, Shelley D. Minteer, Risheng Wang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Precise integration of DNA origami nanostructures onto functional substrates is essential for advancing electronics, photonics, and biosensing. However, most surface-assembly methods are highly sensitive to substrate type, limiting their broader applications. Here, we introduce a thermal release tape (TRT)-assisted transfer method that enables efficient, large-area printing of DNA origami-guided gold nanoparticle (AuNP-DNA origami) arrays from mica onto diverse surfaces. The method relies on differential adhesion: AuNP-DNA origami arrays form strong electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding interactions with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized receiver substrates, while the TRT adhesive weakens upon heating to 120°C, allowing release from the tape. Using this approach, well-ordered AuNP-DNA origami arrays …

Volatile Organic Compound Analysis Of Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus Humboldti) Preen Oil: A Pilot Study, Dante E. Rojas, Mitchell M. Mccartney, Eva Borras, Michael O. Eze, Abigail Pietrow, Jennifer J. Valvo, Cristina E. Davis

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Avian olfaction has gained prominence in recent decades for its roles in social communication and behavior. In penguins, the chemical characterization of preen oil remains limited. In this exploratory study, we characterized the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile of preen oil from Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti). Preen oil from 12 captive individuals was analyzed using headspace sorptive extraction (HSSE) coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Chemometric analyses examined variation in VOC profiles by sex, age class, and breeding activity. We detected 54 compounds (20 tentatively identified), including linear alcohols, methyl ketones, carboxylic acids, saturated hydrocarbons, oxygenated and nitrogen-containing organics, prenolipids, …

Handwriting Recognition In Vr, Dominique Mosley

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Virtual Reality (VR) is slowly becoming more popular for more than just entertainment. VR can be found in educational, office, and even healthcare settings to help discover more intuitive ways to teach, collaborate, and treat patients. Outside of the virtual world, these environments typically rely on writing for communicating or note-taking. Currently, VR input forces users to rely on clunky on-screen keyboards which disrupts the user’s immersion and breaks the flow of natural interaction. This thesis explores the potential of VR as a learning platform by combining it with artificial intelligence (AI). It aims to develop a VR-enhanced handwriting practicing …

The North American Diatom Symposium: A Brief History, 1970-2024, Mark B. Dlund, Julie Wolin, Adam J. Heathcote

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

The 2024 North American Diatom Symposium (NADS) represents the twenty-seventh time that the group formally gathered and the fourth time the group convened at Iowa Lakeside Lab. The first NADS meeting, called "Ecology of Freshwater Diatoms," was held in October 1970 at the Cedar Creek Natural History Area in Minnesota and was organized by J. Platt Bradbury and Ryan Drum. Four years later, the group gathered at Hocking Hills in Ohio for the "Second North American Symposium on Diatom Systematics and Ecology", a meeting that set the stage for the now biennial gathering of this informal society. Over the last …

Optimal Quantization On Spherical Surfaces: Continuous And Discrete Models—A Beginner-Friendly Expository Study, Mrinal Kanti Roychowdhury

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This expository paper provides a unified and pedagogical introduction to optimal quantization for probability measures supported on spherical curves and discrete subsets ofthe sphere, emphasizing both continuous and discrete settings. We first present a detailedgeometric and analytical foundation for intrinsic quantization on the unit sphere, includingdefinitions of great and small circles, spherical triangles, geodesic distance, Slerp interpolation,the Fréchet mean, spherical Voronoi regions, centroid conditions, and quantizationdimensions. Building upon this framework, we develop explicit continuous and discretequantization models on spherical curves, namely great circles, small circles, and greatcircular arcs—supported by rigorous derivations and pedagogical exposition. For uniformcontinuous distributions, we compute optimal …

Understanding The Syphilis Resurgence Among Females Of Childbearing Age: Informing Prevention Efforts In New York State, Salvatore Currenti

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Syphilis is caused by Treponema pallidum and transmitted through direct contact with infected mucosal lesions and via vertical transmission during pregnancy (i.e., congenital). Transmission of syphilis to an infant during pregnancy (i.e., congenital syphilis [CS]) can lead to early fetal death, stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm birth, low birthweight, and congenital infection in infants. The United States (U.S.) is experiencing epidemic increases in both females of reproductive age with syphilis and infants with CS. In New York State (NYS), these trends have also occurred, especially after COVID-19 emergence, and increases in reported cases and incidence rates are comparable to national statistics. …

Providers' Perceptions Of Barriers And Facilitators To Implementing Non-Pharmacological Treatment For Adults With Chronic Pain: A Meta-Synthesis, Mikhaela Mcfarlin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background. Chronic pain is a public health concern impacting approximately 20% of adults in the U.S. Nonpharmacological interventions are considered first-line treatments for patients with chronic pain, yet nonpharmacological interventions remain significantly underutilized. While previous research has explored barriers from the patient’s perspective, limited attention has been paid to providers’ experiences implementing these treatments. This qualitative meta-synthesis aimed to examine provider-perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing nonpharmacolgical treatments for adults with chronic pain. Methods. Independent reviewers conducted systematic searches across PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations using relevant (e.g., “mental health provider”, “nonpharmacological”) and applied inclusion criteria to …

Making Words Count: Computational Linguistics In Management Research, Joseph J. Simpson, Richard A. Hunt, David M. Townsend, Judy Rady, Elham Asgari, Mohammad Rady, Daniel J. Beal

International Business and Entrepreneurship Faculty Publications

In recent years, a rapidly growing number of management scholars are using computational linguistics (CL) to analyze vast corpora of naturally occurring organizational language. Yet the rapid adoption of CL methods has outpaced the development of shared standards for linking theoretical constructs, linguistic data, and computational measurement. We synthesize 353 articles published in leading management journals for 2013–2025, identifying four recurring challenges shaping the credibility of CL-based research: misalignment between constructs and textual corpora, unnecessary model complexity, the opacity of large language model workflows, and insufficient transparency in reporting. Building on these patterns, we develop four integrative design principles—construct-language fit, …

Samuel Anthony Rumore, Jr. Collection, University Of Alabama School Of Law

Manuscript Collections

The Samuel Anthony Rumore Collection consists of research materials and drafts of Rumore's project "Building Alabama Courthouses," photographs of Alabama county courthouses and federal buildings, materials from Rumore's tenure as president of the Library School Association, and correspondence with UA's School of Library and Information Studies.

Identification Of Neural Crest And Melanoma Cancer Cell Invasion And Migration Genes Using High-Throughput Screening And Deep Attention Networks., J C Kasemeier-Kulesa, S Martina Perez, R E Baker, Paul M. Kulesa

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Cell migration and invasion are well-coordinated in development and disease but remain poorly understood. We previously showed that the neural crest (NC) cell migratory wavefront shares a 45-gene panel with other cell invasion phenomena. To rapidly and systematically identify critical genes, we performed a high-throughput siRNA screen and statistical and deep learning analyses to determine changes in NC- versus non-NC-derived human cell line behaviors.

RESULTS: We find 14 out of 45 genes significantly reduced c8161 melanoma cell migration; four of the 14 genes altered leader cell motility (BMP4, ITGB1, KCNE3, and RASGRP1). Deep learning identified marked disruptions in cell-neighbor …

Designed Lands©Apes—Ar©Hitecture, Sculpture, Visual Art, Shape, Pi©Torial Work, Or . . . Nothing At All?, Richard H. Chused

Articles & Chapters

This article arises from the saga of the construction and eventual destruction of a landmark landscape architectural work by the well-known artist Mary Miss that was constructed adjacent to the Des Moines Art Center called Greenwood Pond: Double Site. The project’s demise is emblematic of the remarkably ambiguous copyright problems that surround such artistic creations. They do not neatly fit into any category of copyrightable works. Though they may contain sculptural works, their overall designs are rarely totally sculptural. While architects typically draw plans and “sculpt” a landscaped space, the results usually are not “buildings,’ as required by the definition …

Making The Implicit Explicit: Leadership In Primary Care Dental Practice, Sally Hanks, Debby R.E. Cotton

Peninsula Dental School

Objectives: This paper reports on research aimed at understanding leadership activities in primary care dental practice, an under-explored area within the extant literature. Methods: The research employed a qualitative, exploratory paradigm, using Video Reflexive Ethnography (VRE) and Activity Theory (AT) to capture the lived experiences of seven participating dentists. Results: The research outlines the ways in which dentists demonstrate leadership skills in their daily work, identifying three interacting activity systems that define leadership in this setting: Patient Care (PC), Running the Surgery (RS), and Running the Practice (RP). Findings emphasise that leadership is directly related to patient care and is …

Educational Interventions To Prepare Undergraduate Students For Out-Of-Hours Practice As A Newly Qualified Doctor In The United Kingdom: A Scoping Review, Alex Gordon, Molly Parkinson, Rosanna Watts, Kamal El-Badawi, Erin Dawson, Rohan Chiktara, Lorna Burns, Nicola Brennan

Peninsula Dental School

Background: In the United Kingdom (UK), newly qualified doctors are routinely responsible for out-of-hours (OOH) care, often managing acutely unwell patients with limited supervision. Despite national recommendations encouraging OOH experience during medical school training, there is no formal curriculum for OOH practice. Objectives: This scoping review aimed to identify the range of educational interventions designed to prepare UK medical students for OOH clinical responsibilities and assess their reported effects on perceived and actual preparedness. Methods: Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, a systematic search of seven databases and grey literature sources was conducted. Eligible studies involved UK-based medical students and reported …

Exploring The Acceptability Of Integrating Dietitians Into Primary Care Dental Services For Children, Lauren Hallewell, Raul Bescos, Zoe Brookes, Tracey Parkin, Robert Witton, Patricia Casas-Agustench

School of Health Professions

BACKGROUND: Dental caries is a common childhood non-communicable disease strongly associated with high sugar intake. Beyond oral health, a poor diet can affect children's growth, development, and overall well-being. While dietary advice is central to preventive dental care, some primary care dental clinics have introduced body mass index (BMI) assessments and further dietary advice to address wider nutritional concerns in children. However, these efforts are often constrained by limited nutrition training, time constraints and concerns about sensitivity. Integrating dietitians into primary dental care may help overcome these barriers by enhancing dietary guidance, supporting broader nutritional needs and facilitating structured BMI …

An Evidence Review Of Technology Enabled Social Care In The Uk: Report For Cornwall Health Determinants Research Collaboration, Sheena Asthana, Michael Loizou, Marius Varga, Oliver Beer, Rory Baxter, Kieran Green

School of Nursing and Midwifery

The Urgent Need for a Shift from Crisis Intervention to Prevention. As highlighted by the Chief Medical Officer, demographic ageing—particularly acute in coastal areas like Cornwall—necessitates a fundamental shift in care models to allow individuals to live as independently as possible. Currently, the potential of digital technologies to support this aim is not being realised. To maintain wellbeing and reduce demand on statutory services, the system must pivot from reactive crisis management to a greater focus on prevention. While technology can play a pivotal role, it will only succeed if integrated into interoperable, data-driven systems that facilitate early intervention and …

How Does Pre-Registration Child Specific Education Prepare Newly Qualified Nurses’ To Care For Children, Young People, And Their Families? An Empty Narrative Review, Matt Carey, Danielle Edge, Julie Blamires, Mandie Foster, Sarah Neill

School of Nursing and Midwifery

This narrative review investigates the influence of child-specific content within pre-registration nursing programs on newly qualified nurses’ perceptions of preparedness to care for children, young people, and their families. Despite international recognition of the specialised competencies required for pediatric nursing, the proportion and quality of child-focused education across Higher Education Institutions is not clear. The Population, Exposure, Outcome framework provided a comprehensive search strategy applied across eight databases to identify relevant studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of 663 records identified, 451 were screened and 25 full texts wereassessed for eligibility by two reviewers. No studies met the …

Exploring The Views Of Children With Cerebral Palsy, Their Parents And Physiotherapists On Participating In A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Testing An Exergaming Device: A Qualitative Study, Rachel Rapson, Jos M. Latour, Jonathan Marsden, Bernie Carter

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: This study aimed to understand the experiences and views of children with cerebral palsy, their parents and physiotherapists participating in the ACCEPT feasibility randomised controlled trial, which explored a 10-week physiotherapy intervention using an interactive gaming training device. Design: Qualitative methods included semi-structured interviews, e-diary and photographs. Nine parent–child dyads and three physiotherapists participated. Children were aged between 7 and 16 years; four had co-existing additional needs. Interviews were transcribed. Reflexive thematic analysis was used. Results: Five themes covered the breadth of participants’ experiences: (1) Fitting in therapy; (2) Motivation; (3) New opportunities; (4) Physiotherapists out of their comfort …