Digital Commons Network^™

Limosilactobacillus Reuteri Promotes Melatonin Release From Human Intestinal Organoids Via 5′Ectonucleotidase Activity, Micah D Forshee, Erika J Nachman, Esha R Shenoy, Heather A Danhof, Ludwig Ermann Lundberg, Stefan Roos, Robert A Britton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Strains of Limosilactobacillus reuteri have been used to prevent or treat various conditions; however, the mechanisms by which they exert beneficial effects are not completely understood. Infant colic is one example in which L. reuteri DSM 17938 reduces clinical symptoms. While the etiology of colic is unknown, abnormal melatonin levels in infants have been suggested as a possible contributor. L. reuteri DSM 17938 has been shown to produce adenosine from AMP via production of the extracellular enzyme 5′ectonucleotidase (5′NT). Adenosine is a potent signaling molecule that impacts several important aspects of host physiology, including the release of melatonin from the …

Nourishing Births: A Program Evaluation Proposal For Community-Based Nutrition Education, Food Access, And Garden Engagement Among Black Birthing People, Naa Deedei-Vera Hammond

Master's Projects and Capstones

Black birthing people in the United States continue to experience unequal maternal health outcomes, shaped in part by racism and barriers to nutritious food, culturally relevant health education, and supportive community spaces. While prenatal nutrition education and food assistance programs can provide important resources, information alone cannot address the challenges many people face when trying to access healthy and affordable food during pregnancy. The Nourishing Births Initiative is a proposed community-based maternal health program designed to respond to these needs by bringing together prenatal nutrition education, help connecting to food resources, community gardening, and peer support for Black birthing people …

Impact Of Implementing Standard Wound Care Guidelines For Patients In The Home Care Setting On Patient Outcomes, Raymond Anthony Flores Jr

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Wound care is among the most significant public health concerns, affecting millions of people worldwide. Most individuals with wounds end up self-managing their condition from their homes due to being discharged early from the hospital, owing to various reasons, and the costs associated with health care. Although home wound management offers convenience and lower costs for patients, it is also associated with substantial challenges, including limited access to and use of appropriate care protocols, wound management tools, and sufficient education on the topic, as well as limited professional advice. These limitations contribute to poor outcomes, including slow healing rates, infections, …

Adolescent And Young Adult Cancer Survivorship: Supportive Care Needs, Resources, And Barriers, Allison Bryn Koplos

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors experience unique physical, psychosocial, developmental, and healthcare-related challenges that often persist beyond treatment completion. Although survivorship resources have expanded, gaps in supportive care needs persist. This scoping review examined the supportive care needs, survivorship resources, and barriers to accessing supportive care among AYA cancer survivors.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Peer-reviewed literature published between 2000 and 2026 was identified through searches in PubMed and Google Scholar. Studies examining supportive care needs, survivorship resources, or supportive care services …

Navigating Urgency And Innovation: How Pandemic-Era Leadership Frames The Evolving Role Of Ai In Educational Leadership, Patricia Virella, Alexandra J. Lamb

Department of Educational Leadership Scholarship and Creative Works

Purpose: This paper examines how pandemic-era leadership lessons inform the current implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools, focusing on adaptive strategies, distributed leadership, and equity-focused decision-making among US school principals during crisis-driven technological change.

Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was employed, drawing on semi-structured interviews with fifty public school principals conducted between 2020 and 2022. Data were coded and analyzed iteratively using distributed leadership theory to identify key themes related to technology integration, professional development and leadership practices in rapidly changing environments.

Findings: Adaptive, distributed leadership and proactive planning for digital equity were vital for effective crisis response and technology …

Diverging Impacts Of Organizational Dei Practices: The Role Of Objective And Subjective Group Status, Julia Oberlin, Claudia Toma, Tessa L. Dover

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose – While DEI practices aim to enhance the outcomes of disadvantaged groups, their impact remains uncertain, with disparities often persisting. This paper examines whether the accumulation of DEI practices helps reduce psychological and work disparities between employees, considering both their objective (e.g. gender and race) and subjective (or perceived) (dis)advantage.

Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 surveyed 602 employees to assess the impact of perceiving their organization as having many orfew DEI practices on theirsense ofinclusion and job satisfaction. Study 2 used an experimental design (N 5 739) to extend the findings of Study 1 by manipulating the number of DEI …

Firms’ Darq Readiness And Marketing Implications: A Systematic Literature Review, Ali N. Tehrani, K. Roy, Richard Gruner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – This study aims to systematically review literature across diverse disciplines, including marketing, management and information systems, to synthesise insights on firms’ readiness to adopt and implement DARQ technologies and their marketing implications. DARQ technologies are emerging and cutting-edge technologies, including Distributed Ledger Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality and Quantum Computing (hence, DARQ). Design/methodology/approach – Through a systematic review of over 2, 500 papers across three databases, this study distilled a focused sample of 88 papers. It comprehensively explores the reported dimensions, antecedents, outcomes and marketing implications of firms’ readiness for DARQ technologies. Findings – This study identified three …

Social Procurement As A Catalyst For Dei In Construction: Some Takeaways For Hrm?, Jennifer Waterhouse, Robyn Keast, Judy Lundy, Martin Loosemore

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives aim to foster workplaces where all employees feel valued and can add value. Increasingly, the success of these initiatives is influenced by environments and interactions beyond organisational boundaries, including recent backlash. Despite this, most DEI research remains focused on intra-organisational aspects and human resource management (HRM) activities. The purpose of this paper is to introduce social procurement as a novel and promising framework for advancing DEI in theory and practice through a collaborative, inter-organisational approach that has the potential to overcome institutional barriers and mitigate backlash. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through 15 in-depth …

The Impact Of A Play-Based Nature Camp On Self-Regulation In School-Age Children, Margaret Berkemeyer

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed-methods design that evaluated the effectiveness of Y Rangers, a summer camp offered by the YMCA of San Francisco, in increasing the self-regulation abilities of school-age children. A total of 18 caregivers completed the quantitative portion of this study that included pre/post-test analyses of self-regulation measures. There were no statistically significant changes between pre and post assessments of self-regulation. A subset of seven caregivers and three Y Rangers counselors participated in interviews, the transcripts of which were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Caregivers experienced Y Rangers as a unique opportunity for their …

The Relationship Between Acculturative Stress, Body Dissatisfaction, And Disordered Eating Behavior Among Latina Women In The United States, Emily Lillian Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations

The majority of research on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors focuses predominantly on the experiences of white women, neglecting the significant impact of acculturative stress on these issues, especially among understudied groups like Latina women. The present study seeks to address the gap in the literature by obtaining data that explores the extent to which acculturative stress, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behavior have a relationships. Additionally, it investigates the roles of cultural values and ethnic identification in protecting against body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior within this population. To determine whether acculturative stress is predictive of body dissatisfaction …

Beyond Shelter: Exploring The Potential Impacts Of Rental Assistance On Self-Reliance And Well-Being For Venezuelan Migrants In Colombia, Lindsay Stark, Juan Pablo Franco, Arturo Harker Roa, Neema Mosha, Deanna Barch, Ned Meerdink, Ilana Seff

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Urban refugees in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often face housing insecurity, undermining their ability to achieve self-reliance and well-being. Few studies have evaluated the impact of housing interventions in these contexts. This study offers preliminary evidence on the effectiveness of a 9-month rental assistance program targeting female-headed Venezuelan migrant households in Colombia. Using pre-post data from 517 participants, we assessed changes over time in household-level self-reliance, domains of self-reliance, subjective well-being and perceived agency. We also employed ordinary least squares regression and fixed-effects models to estimate changes in self-reliance and the relationship between self-reliance, psychosocial and housing outcomes. Our …

Efficacy And Engagement In Digital Acceptance And Commitment Therapy: A Meta-Analysis And Investigation Of Mechanisms, Korena S. Klimczak

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Digital mental health interventions offer a more accessible, affordable, and flexible option for mental health support. These apps and websites draw from the same therapeutic models as face-to-face therapy, but are available on demand at a fraction of the cost. In exchange, digital formats give up the personal relationship, accountability, and scheduled structure that keep people connected to treatment. This places a greater burden on users to stay involved on their own, and as a result, engagement is widely believed to be the main bottleneck limiting the impact of digital mental health care.

This dissertation examined engagement in digital programs …

Nature-Based Therapy In The Uae: Leveraging Ecosystems To Alleviate Depression And Anxiety, Aya Abdul Karim Al-Taani, Mahmoud Mohammad Al-Gharaibeh, Ahmed A. Al-Taani

All Works

This review synthesizes current evidence on the relationship between natural ecosystems and mental health outcomes with a particular focus on arid and rapidly urbanizing contexts such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It introduces the Multi-Ecosystem Therapeutic Framework for Arid Urban Environments, which moves beyond generalized "nature exposure" models by systematically linking distinct environmental systems to mental health outcomes through identifiable psychological, physiological and social mechanisms. The framework is structured around three interconnected components: ecosystem types (urban green spaces, desert landscapes, mountain environments and blue spaces), mediating mechanisms (including psychological restoration, stress reduction, physical activity and social interaction) and mental …

Fine-Tuning Large Language Models For Binary And Multiclass Target-Specific Hate Speech Detection, Sanaa Kaddoura, Sumaia Al-Kohlani

All Works

Social media platforms are widely used by individuals from diverse demographic backgrounds to share their opinions and daily experiences. The anonymity provided by these platforms has increased the prevalence of hate speech, causing significant psychological harm to targeted groups. Existing hate speech detection approaches predominantly rely on binary classification, which fails to capture the lexical and contextual diversity of hate categories, leading to the misclassification of hate against minority groups. This study addresses this limitation by evaluating the effectiveness of five large language models (LLMs) for target-specific multiclass hate speech detection across six classes. The evaluation uses a dataset of …

Instructional Coaching And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Ryan E. Rarick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Instructional coaching is one way schools help teachers grow in their practice, but it is not always clear how frequently coaching should occur. This study looked at whether teachers’ confidence was related to the support they received from instructional coaches and how often that support occurred. 

The study included 252 teachers in the Early Years Enhancement (EYE) program, including first-, second-, and third-year teachers, as well as experienced teachers who were new to their district. Overall, teachers who reported stronger coaching support also tended to report higher confidence in their teaching. This connection was strongest for first-year and third-year teachers, …

Beyond Symptoms: Examining Perinatal Mental Health Care Among Black, Indigenous And People Of Color With Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, Vinaya Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are as a public health concern in the United States. Individuals from minoritized racial/ethnic groups face a significantly elevated risk of maternal morbidity, mortality, mental health disorders, and associated adverse outcomes. Emerging studies also reveal a higher likelihood of experiencing perinatal mental health concerns in individuals with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), currently known as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). People who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a person of color (BIPOC) face unique healthcare challenges given the added structural and social burdens. This online survey study aimed to 1) understand the relationship between PMOS …

Kinesiology Department Chairs’ Perceptions Of Their Training And Preparation, Kason O’Neil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs are responsible for leading academic departments in higher education.  These individuals regularly make important decisions regarding such things as managing faculty and academic programming, overseeing budgets, and supporting student needs. Despite these responsibilities, many people become department chairs without receiving formal leadership training. This study explored how kinesiology department chairs across the United States viewed their preparation for the role and the importance of leadership training. A total of 111 department chairs completed an online survey about their background, previous training, and the importance of training for different administrative responsibilities. The results showed that most chairs had little …

More Than Just Play: The Impact Of Campus Recreation On Retention In Modern Higher Education, Corbin D. Hedges

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Student retention remains a central concern in higher education, particularly as the demographic composition of college populations shifts toward a growing number of contemporary students. While extensive research has examined retention strategies for traditional students, there is a notable gap in understanding how institutional resources, such as Campus Recreation, support contemporary student success. This study explores the impact of Campus Recreation participation on student retention, with a specific focus on contemporary students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, this research investigates participation trends, perceived benefits, and barriers to engagement in Campus Recreation programs. Quantitative …

Analysis Of U.S. Army Body Composition Policies: Implementation Effectiveness And Recommendations For Policy Enhancement At Brooke Army Medical Center, Michael L. Rizzo

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Manuscripts

US Army body composition policies (AR 600-9 and recent directives) are essential for military readiness, injury prevention, and force health protection, yet implementation gaps persist, particularly with the 2026 Department of Defense (DoD)-mandated waist-to-height ratio (WHtR < 0.55) transition. This DNP project evaluated policy implementation effectiveness at Brooke Army Medical Center using the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model and CFIR 2.0 framework. Analysis of 2022–2025 de-identified administrative data and 16 stakeholder questionnaires identified ≥10 implementation gaps, including low awareness of new standards and workload impacts. The project developed 8 evidence-based recommendations and an implementation roadmap to improve compliance, optimize resources, reduce administrative burden, and strengthen military readiness.

The Effects Of Eps Level And Presentation Format Of Analysts’ Forecast Deviation On Non-Professional Investors’ Investment Judgments, Clarence Goh, Prasart Jongjaroenkamol, Poh-Sun Seow

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We experimentally investigate how the presentation format of the extent to which a firm's earnings per share (EPS) diverges from analysts' EPS forecasts (i.e. deviation information) and a firm's EPS level affect the investment judgments of non-professional investors (referred to hereafter as “investors”). Our results suggest that investors' investment judgments are more positive when firms with low (high) EPS levels disclose deviation information in percentage (absolute) terms. Furthermore, when the percentage of forecast deviation is held constant, investment judgments are more positive when EPS levels are high versus low if the deviation information is expressed in absolute terms. By contrast, …

Pieces Solving A Puzzle: Emerging Roles And Cross-Field Analogies During A Distributed Epistemic Game, Jenna Matthews

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In an effort to describe why some problems can’t be solved, a character compared them to a cubic meter of platinum - a block so dense that all the people who could squeeze around it still couldn’t lift it off the ground. In the same way, these problems simply can’t have enough people gathered around and communicating about them - and so they remain unsolved.

This research looks at the first Polymath Project (2009) as an example of a distributed epistemic game to examine how groups engage with complex problems. and without a locally omniscient individual. In this setting of …

Perceptions, Attitudes, And Experiences Of Persons Who Work In Forensic Mental Health Systems, Abigail Wiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The forensic mental health system serves clients with dual needs —serious mental health concerns like psychosis and suicidality, and management of risk. Experiences and perceptions of professional and direct care staff may impact daily and therapeutic interactions and client success. These experiences may be marked by stigma, such as beliefs about what led to hospitalization, treatability of mental health concerns, and intentionality of behavior. Understanding this stigma, as well as the role of vicarious trauma, workplace burnout, and other relevant individual factors, may help us understand staff experiences and guide training, thus improving client care. 146 staff members across three …

Legislation Is Hot: Reforming The Troubled Teen Industry In California, Jaclyn Ragusa

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

"Please Put The Phone Down!": Self-Determination Theory Applied To Parental Social Media Mediation, Benjamin A. Dolowich

Dissertations

The majority of adolescents and young adults use social media (Chaddock, 2024; Coyne et al., 2013). Parents are faced with the challenge of considering the role social media may play in their children’s lives (Valkenburg et al., 2013). Using self-determination theory as a framework (Deci & Ryan, 2000), we investigated psychological needs as one mechanism connecting parental social media mediation strategies with well-being and emotional distress in a sample of young adults. Participants were 244 undergraduate students who completed online questionnaires. The results highlighted that controlling styles of parental social media mediation have an association with emotional distress. Psychological needs …

Providing Effective Student Feedback: Effects Of Sociotropy, Student-Teacher Connectedness, And Expressed Disappointment And Praise On Students' Self-Esteem And Motivation, Emily Davied

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examined how different types of teacher feedback (i.e., expressed pride, expressed disappointment, and near-neutral feedback) impact students’ motivation to learn and self-esteem. It also explored whether such effects vary depending on students' personality and how connected they feel to their teacher. Undergraduate students (N = 221) imagined receiving feedback from a teacher and completed surveys assessing their motivation, self-esteem, sociotropy, and connectedness with the teacher. The results showed that feedback expressing disappointment lowered students' self esteem compared to expressing pride and lowered students' motivation compared to near neutral feedback. Although sociotropy (i.e., dependence on others' approval) and teacher …

The Association Between Cyber Behaviors And Hedonic And Eudaimonic Well-Being: The Moderating Role Of Personality Traits, Areej Elsayary, Juan Calmaestra, Mercedes Gómez-López

All Works

The increasing integration of digital technologies into everyday life has intensified engagement in various cyber behaviors, raising important questions about their relationship with individuals' well-being. This study examined the associations between online moral disengagement, problematic internet use (compulsive internet use), benign and toxic disinhibition, cyberaggression, and cybervictimization with both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being among emerging adults in the United Arab Emirates. Furthermore, it explores the moderating role of personality traits in these associations. Data were collected from 671 emerging adults (46.8% women) aged 18–29 years (M = 22.56; SD = 3.04). Results showed that cybervictimization and cyberaggression exhibited the strongest …

Representing The Brand: A Study To Examine The Best Practices For Structuring And Operating Communications Teams In Higher Education Institutions, Margaret L. Reisser

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

As higher education institutions increasingly compete for students, faculty, funding, and recognition, academic leaders are recognizing the essential role communications and public relations professionals play in maintaining and promoting the value of their institutional brands. Much has been written about the value of communications professionals in brand management in the corporate arena. However, it appears less attention has been paid to their role in higher education. This mixed-methods study was undertaken to examine the best practices for structuring and operating communications and public relations organizations for optimal success in promoting the higher education institutions they represent. Communications and public relations …

Ring Ring Goes The Telephone, Answer That Email: The Immediacy Of Information Communication Technologies And Their Effects On Employee Well-Being, Concepcion Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Rapid technological advances have resulted in information communication technologies (ICTs) with revolutionary capabilities, allowing employees easy access to the workplace without the impediments of time or space. Initial inception of ICTs in the workplace were expected to increase autonomy (Heller, 1989), but the ability to be reachable at any time proved disadvantageous to employee well-being by creating a culture in which immediate responses were expected and precipitating the psychological phenomenon of workplace telepressure, an overwhelming preoccupation and urge experienced by workers to respond to work-related messages (Barber & Santuzzi, 2015; Mazmanian et al., 2013). The current study centered on exploring …

Enhancing Teachers’ Intercultural Literacy: Examining The Impact Of A Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program To Indonesia, Paul R. Wallace

Journal of Global Education and Research

The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program offers institutional grants to support overseas experiences and curriculum development for educators. The study reported here focused on changes in the intercultural literacy of participants involved in a 4-week Fulbright-Hays GPA Program to Indonesia. Participants in this study included K-12 teachers from public schools and teacher education majors. Before and after traveling to Indonesia, eight participants completed a self-assessment of intercultural literacy, which measured competencies, understandings, attitudes, language proficiencies, participation, and identities deemed necessary for successful living and working in a cross-cultural environment. This article presents the results of the assessment survey, along …

Changing Expectations In Higher Education Post-Pandemic, Gregory R. Mackinnon, Tyler Maclean, Mohamad El Maouch, William Yuan, Zhao Kaibin, Bi Dandan, Marwa Saab

Journal of Global Education and Research

A sample of higher education students in Canada and China was surveyed and interviewed to ascertain any changes in their educational expectations given their experiences with emergency remote teaching during the pandemic. In addition, the instructors of these students were interviewed to corroborate student feedback. The research suggested that students in Canada and China expressed expectations of increased flexibility and improved pedagogy. Whereas Canadian students were overtly demanding of the instructor and the educational system, Chinese students were comparatively subtle in their expectation that the post-pandemic level of support be maintained. The primary concern of the Chinese cohort was a …