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Fostering Belonging: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Nontraditional Students In Higher Education, Gina M. Bolin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the sense of belonging for nontraditional students in online higher education environments. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the CoI, which emphasized the importance of social, cognitive, and teaching presence to foster a supportive and positive student experience. The central research question was: How do online nontraditional students in higher education describe their experiences of academic and social belonging within their learning communities? This study employed a transcendental phenomenological design. Participants included 15 nontraditional students enrolled in fully online degree programs at various U.S. institutions. Data collected through …

Evaluating Patient Readiness For Spine Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study, Lindsay D. Orosz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Spinal conditions effect millions of Americans each year and surgery for these conditions continues to be on the rise. Historically, spine surgery was associated with negative outcomes and fear, often considered a last resort by both patients and physicians. In the last 20 years, spine surgery has become one of the most rapidly advancing surgical fields and is at the forefront of technological advances and ongoing innovation. Today, spine patients have minimally invasive options that are performed in under half the time and are associated with less muscle weakening and adjacent level irritation, as well as more reliable spinal alignment …

Irony In Luke's Gospel: Christological Revelation, God's Superior Kingdom, And A Charismatic Theology Of The Spirit, Todd Boulware

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation considers Luke’s use of irony as a strategy of theological significance—a topic not often thoroughly analyzed throughout the history of Lukan scholarship even though many scholars have noted Luke’s narrative artistry. Prior inquiries have acknowledged Luke’s use of irony and other figures of speech, but comprehensive analysis of irony as a theological motif remains largely unaddressed. This is striking since Luke uses irony throughout, starting in Luke 1 and continuing through Luke 24. In this study, narrative and rhetorical critical analysis of the Third Gospel demonstrates that Luke uses the device of irony strategically for his primary theological …

Combination Of 1064 Nm Qs Nd:Yag Photoacoustic Technology And Exosome For Facial Rejuvenation, Stanley Setiawan, Samuel Septrian Putranto, Angela Maria Linata, Stephanie Salim, Novia Sari Andriati Mertosono, Shelly Nobel, Flora Asri Wardianti, Ita Anggraini, Zulaikha Rizqina Rahmawati

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Facial rejuvenation has become a global trend in cosmetic and aesthetic dermatology to restore youthful skin. The combination of 1064 nm Q-Switched Neodymium:Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (QS Nd:YAG) laser and exosomes as a facial rejuvenation procedure restores youthfulness by increasing collagen and elastin.

Case Illustration: This case series evaluated the effectiveness of 1064 nm QS Nd:YAG laser with and without human amniotic fluid stem cell-derived exosomes (hAFSC-exo) for facial rejuvenation in six adults aged 24–39 years with Fitzpatrick skin types III-IV. Participants were randomized to receive either laser treatment alone or combined with intradermal hAFSC-exo injections every two weeks for …

Skin Rejuvenation With Microbotox: A Review, Ifen Ayu Malinda, Nelva Karmila Jusuf

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Skin aging is characterized by a gradual loss of tissue and organ function. Skin aging can be classified into two types: intrinsic aging, associated with the aging process itself, and extrinsic aging, which is linked to external factors. Microbotox—an intradermal injection of diluted botulinum toxin—has emerged as a promising technique for rejuvenation by improving skin texture, pore size, and sebum control. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the microbotox technique in the context of skin aging, emphasizing its mechanisms, indications, and clinical outcomes.

Discussion: In Asia, intradermal injection of botulinum toxin or microbotox has been widely …

Cybersecurity Strategies For Effective Proactive Response To Cyber Attacks, Tony L. Perry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malicious cybersecurity attacks threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational data. This issue concerns organizational leaders and cybersecurity professionals who must address these threats to prevent operational disruptions, financial losses, reputational damage, and declining stakeholder trust. Grounded in organizational learning theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the strategies information technology security professionals use to proactively respond to evolving cybersecurity threats. The study involved 16 cybersecurity professionals, each with a minimum of five years of experience in implementing both offensive and defensive cybersecurity strategies within their organizations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a …

Mediating Roles Of Corneal Biomechanical And Topographic Parameters In Eye Rubbing And Keratoconus Based On The Chinese Keratoconus Cohort Study, Kaili Yang, Runqi Tu, Liyan Xu, Yuwei Gu, Qi Fan, Shanshan Yin, Yi Yuan, Anqi Chang, Yifan Wang, Chenchen Yin, Yonghao Zang, Chenjiu Pang, Daniela Oehring, Yibin Hao, Shengwei Ren

School of Health Professions

Purpose: Studies have shown that eye rubbing is associated with increased risk of keratoconus (KC). However, the potential mediating roles between eye rubbing and KC remain largely unknown. Hence, this study aims to explore the mediating roles of two specific factors, namely, the inverse of the stiffness parameter at the first applanation (-SPA1) and maximal corneal keratometry (Kmax) values, in the relationship between eye rubbing and KC. Methods: A total of 395 patients with KC and 396 controls from the Chinese keratoconus (CKC) cohort study were included in this case–control analysis. The Spearman correlation and generalized linear regression models were …

The Relationship Between Hope, Religiosity, And Meaning In Life In Adults Who Experienced Relational Loss, Elyse Hope Linder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Relationship loss from death or living loss significantly impacts almost every human being at some point in life. Extensive research has examined the constructs of hope, religiosity, meaning in life, and grieving. Researchers have identified the contributions of these constructs in helping individuals understand and make sense of relational loss. However, limited, if any, literature exists on the relationships between all the constructs, particularly with an interdisciplinary view of hope. This present study examined these relationships and the moderating effect of hope and religiosity in adults who have experienced significant relationship loss within the past six years. Data was collected …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Anti-Recidivism Programs In Fresno County, California, James Mora

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological research is to examine the perceived effectiveness of anti-recidivism programs in California and the lived experiences of ex-offenders who participate in the programs. This research will employ a qualitative methodology, utilizing a phenomenological design and interviews to collect data. The guiding theory for this research will be the Life-Course Theory, which examines relationships, significant life events, or turning points and their correlation with sobriety, gainful employment, and a crime-free lifestyle. The open coding system will synthesize and categorize interview responses before inputting the data into NVivo 15, a qualitative analysis software. The participant sample will …

A More Robust Ethics: The Weakness And Theistic Dependence Of Godless Normative Realism, Micah Andrew Pycraft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation is centered on the metaethics and moral ontology of Erik Wielenberg. The central task of the dissertation is to examine Wielenberg’s metaethical view termed “Godless Normative Realism” and ascertain the ontological implications therein. I contend that Wielenberg’s moral ontology ultimately fails to establish moral realism and aspects of his metaethics are better explained by the existence of God rather than his non-existence.

Chapter One presents Erik Wielenberg’s metaethics within the background of the historical progression of moral ontology and contemporary approaches to moral realism. Tracing from ancient foundations of theistic moral realism I show how moral antirealism grew …

Maternal And Child Nutrition: Nutrition And Weight Management In Pregnancy, And Nutrition In Children Up To 5 Years-Summary Of New Nice Guidance, Shalmali Deshpande, Samantha Ross, Sharangini Rajesh, Maija Kallioninen, Kate Maslin

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

Grid Fragility, Blackouts, And Control Co-Design Solutions, Mario Garcia-Sanz

Faculty Scholarship

The grid is undergoing a large-scale transformation, including a significant reduction of synchronous generators, a high penetration of inverter-based resources and renewables, substantial demand growth, new extra-large loads, aging infrastructure and a concerning vulnerability to contingencies. Some of the recent massive blackouts in Spain/Portugal, Chile and Texas are exposing the fragility of the grid as we know it today. This paper introduces new solutions to stabilize the grid under undesired dynamic interactions and extreme contingencies, with the goal of avoiding cascading failures and blackouts. Using control co-design methodologies, the paper proposes three interdependent categories to improve the reliability and controllability …

Teaching Word Combinations Using Matrix Training Via Serious Gaming In Minimally Verbal Children, Nataly Innamorato

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the communication challenges faced by minimally verbal children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), often limited to one-word expressions. The approach used involves gamifying matrix training, an empirically supported method for teaching word combinations and promoting the generalization of language skills. Across three studies, the development of an instructional game is described and evaluated with two populations, typically developing children and children who are minimally verbal. First, it introduces a gamified application of matrix training that provides training in an interactive digital environment. Second, a proof-of-concept was obtained via a multiple baseline across participants with typically …

Burrows V. 75-25 153rd St., Llc

All Decisions

The Appellate Division affirmed the denial of a landlord's motion to dismiss a putative class action for rent overcharges. The court permitted examination of rent history beyond the four-year lookback period due to allegations of improper use of preferential rents to inflate registered legal rents in a 421-a building. It also found the complaint adequately alleged that a rent concession was a disguised preferential rent, allowing this claim and declaratory relief to proceed to discovery.

Ties That Bind: A Study Of Relational Networks And Spiritual Formation, Joshua Michael Leborious

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In His earthly ministry, Christ tasked the church with the responsibility of making disciples. Today, God calls leaders into professional ministry to discern specific means of doing so. The calling does not make that task easy and the methods for making disciple vary greatly, leaving Christian leaders overwhelmed by trying to figure out how to disciple the people in their care. A mountain of sources suggest that a relational approach has remarkable potential for making disciples. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to explore the potential relationship between relational networks and quantifiable habits of spiritual formation for adult, …

The Failure Of Change Management Projects In Strategy Implementation, Brandon S. Cupp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Change management is critical to strategy implementation, yet organizations frequently struggle to integrate change initiatives, leading to high failure rates. This study explores the systemic challenges associated with change management projects within strategy implementation programs, identifying key factors contributing to success or failure. The research, using a flexible qualitative case study, examines the perspectives of executives, middle managers, and front-line employees in a U.S.-based public safety apparel company. Findings reveal that ineffective communication, insufficient training and support, lack of leadership accountability, employee resistance, generational and cultural differences, and misalignment between strategic vision and operational execution significantly contribute to change management …

Apologetics Curriculum In A Chinese International School, William Kiel Nation

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian schools face the challenge of engaging students whose biblical views are being secularized by a culture that is individualistic and materialistic. At International Christian School Hong Kong, in response to such secular challenges, the overreliance on classical and evidential apologetics in the Bible curriculum has led to student disengagement, as these methods often fail to address the presuppositions of secular youth. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a presuppositional apologetics curriculum, grounded in Tim Keller’s Making Sense of God, compared to the traditional classical approach grounded in Keller’s The Reason for God, to determine which method better …

Student And Teacher Perspectives On Blending Popular Music Pedagogies Into Kodály-Based Elementary Music Classes, Maurine Floyd Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Kodály instructors in the United States train music educators to use American folk songs and classical Western European music as a foundation for students’ lessons; however, American music classrooms today look very different from the 1940s Hungarian classrooms when Zoltán Kodály developed his philosophy for teaching music, and there is a current need to include music that reflects the diverse student population within our schools. While Kodály “purists” may be hesitant to add music outside the realm of folk songs and art music, doing so may provide today’s learners the relevancy to stay engaged as valued members of the music …

Changes In Royal Air Force Aviation Technology, Tactics, And Strategy From World War I To World War Ii, Daniel J. Heiser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The changes in aviation technology, strategy, and tactics in the Royal Air Force (RAF) formed at the end of World War I and throughout the Second World War would later sculpt the future of the modern era. This dissertation aims to explore the changes the RAF made which would ultimately help the Allied Forces win the Second World War and fill in the gaps of history that has seemed to have forgotten. The research shows that with the advancement of radar systems in the interwar period and the focus on fighter plane production the RAF became an outstanding fighting force. …

To Use Or Not To Use Exclusionary Discipline In Early Childhood Education? A Phenomenological Analysis Of Pre-Kindergarten Teachers In Alabama, Christal C. Coker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to examine the lived experiences of pre- kindergarten teachers in Alabama regarding their use of and restraint from using exclusionary discipline. The study aimed to find outcomes that could potentially improve social contexts in Alabama's preschools by creating more equitable learning environments. The problem addressed by the study is that the lived experience of preschool teachers regarding their use of and restraint from using exclusionary discipline when students misbehave at school remains to be discovered. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to recruit seven preschool teachers licensed in Alabama for a one-on-one semi-structured Zoom …

Investigating The Relationship Between Social Media Usage, Perceived Stress, Depression And Spirituality, Jeffrey Leyland King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rapid rise in social media usage (SMU) in the past two decades correlates with a sharp rise in depression (Dep) and self-harm in emerging adults. Many studies have focused on the aspects of diminished well-being, self-harm and suicide, and a possible association between daily spiritual experiences (DSE) and Dep, although there is a paucity of research on DSE to moderate the association. This study was guided by three theories; need-to-belong, social comparison, and cognitive dissonance. The present quantitative study aimed to explore the significance of the association between SMU, perceived stress (PS), and Dep moderated by DSE in emerging …

Media Richness In Nfl Communications: A Content Analysis Case Study, Ashley Menard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study aimed to examine the social media engagement of fans of the National Football League (NFL). The central problem identified was a lack of understanding of brand storytelling across different social media platforms, particularly concerning the richness of information each platform provided. Guided by media richness theory, developed by Daft and Lengel, this research explored the varying communication styles employed in brand storytelling on social media. The study sought to provide insights into how NFL brands can effectively utilize different platforms to enhance their storytelling and engage with their audience more richly and effectively. The results indicate that …

Bahadur Representations For Canonical Quantile Regression: A Correction And Extension, Stephen Portnoy

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portnoy (2022) introduced a version of Canonical Correlation anal- ysis based on Regression Quantiles. The proof of the asymptotic convergence of the estimators contained some gaps. A new proof is developed using Bahadur representations to obtain asymptotic represen- tations for the Canonical Regression Quantile components with error uniformly O_p (n^-1/4 log n). These innovative representations justify approximations and automatically provide joint convergence in dis- tribution. This enables an inductive argument to obtain asymptotic results for all components. These novel Bahadur approximations may have more general application and interest.

Let's Chat About Spoken Discourse: A Tutorial To Support Use Of Spoken Discourse Analysis When Providing Aphasia Clinical Services., Manaswita Dutta, Laura L. Murray, Hyejin Park, Elizabeth Burklow, Arpita Bose, Hana Kim, Kathryn Greenslade, Amy E. Ramage, Collean Combs, Anusha Balasubramanian, Marianne Casilio

Speech and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Spoken discourse is integral to everyday communication; improving discourse outcomes is a primary goal for individuals with aphasia and their families. Consequently, the application of discourse analysis in aphasia assessment and treatment has gained increasing attention in both research and clinical settings. Despite its recognized value among researchers and clinicians, several barriers-such as limited time, inadequate training, and lack of resources-continue to impede the widespread use of discourse analysis into clinical practice. To facilitate its broader adoption, speech-language pathologists require access to comprehensive resources that include information on discourse tasks, outcome measures, psychometric properties, and practical examples of how to …

Isotopic Fingerprints Of The Coastal Margins: Tracing Dissolved Iron Sources From Land To Sea, Hannah R. Hunt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dissolved iron (dFe) is an essential micronutrient for sustaining life in the surface ocean. Nearly four decades of research dedicated to understanding sources, cycling and biogeochemical modifications of Fe sources in the global oceans has generated a significant body of research supporting the idea that the concentration of Fe in the surface ocean exerts significant controls on primary production and carbon uptake in the surface ocean. Creation of the GEOTRACES program greatly increased the spatial and temporal resolution of high-quality trace element and trace element isotope data revealing new insights into the global Fe cycle, especially through the use of …

Changes In Immune-Regulated Gene Methylation Over Time In Women Who Do And Do Not Develop Breast Cancer, Kyle Laney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer survivors face elevated risks of chronic inflammatory conditions and immunedysfunction compared to the general population. These elevated health risks in survivors are well-documented but mechanistically poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize longitudinal changes in DNA methylation patterns of immune-regulatory genes in women who developed breast cancer compared to cancer-free controls. We conducted an EWAS using Sister Study cohort data, analyzing longitudinal changes in DNA methylation by comparing the difference in beta values between pre- and post-diagnosis time points in breast cancer cases versus changes over the same period in cancer-free controls. The analysis included 414 participants: 189 …

Healthy Bodies, Moral Minds, And Rural Ideals: Contextualizing Interwar British Childhood And Citizenship Through Children's Country Holidays Fund Vacations, Paula J. Pack

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation uses the Children’s Country Holidays Fund (CCHF) as a critical lens to examine how philanthropy, childhood, class, public health, and rural nostalgia intersected within the broader context of citizen formation in interwar Britain. Founded in 1884 to provide country holidays for poor London schoolchildren, the CCHF evolved from a philanthropic response to Victorian slum life into an informal arm of welfare governance by the end of the interwar period. Through its country holidays, the Fund became an active participant in shaping ideals of health, morality, and civic responsibility in a period marked by heightened concern over national vitality …

Santa, Socials, And Secrets: Hard Cases For Epistemic Rights, Étienne Brown, Rebecca Chan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In The Right to Know, Lani Watson forcefully argues in favor of recognizing epistemic rights to all humans. In this paper, we apply Watson’s framework to three hard cases. First, we consider interpersonal relationships and suggest that there is room to explore how epistemic rights bear on, e.g., whether parents can permissibly lie to or mislead their children by asserting the existence of Santa Claus. Second, we turn to social media platforms and contend that Watson’s framework is compatible with contrasting moderation policies and transparency requirements. Third, we examine a foundational case of legal ethics—the buried bodies case—which raises the …

If The Halls Could Talk: Educator Narratives On Teen Media Literacy, Doda Lulgjuraj

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adolescents are avid yet vulnerable consumers of digital and social media, frequently exposed to non-credible information without possessing the essential tools to evaluate it effectively. The qualitative research conducted explores adolescent media literacy through the perspectives of middle school and high school educators, intending to understand students' ability to discern credible information. Additionally, this research aims to determine the extent to which current educational practices foster this skill. This study underscores the importance of equipping adolescents with media literacy skills in an increasingly complex and sometimes misleading digital environment. Thirty-six educators from four states in the U.S. participated in semi-structured …

Decreasing Medication Errors Among Unlicensed Assistive Personnel, Tamara J. Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Unlicensed assistive personnel, although their role is controversial, are present in many different settings and have many varying roles and job responsibilities. Yet, removing this type of healthcare worker from the job pool may lead to increased labor costs, which could be stifling to some organizations and facilities. Digging deeper, data suggests errors are due to lack of a defined scope of practice, a lack of understanding of job roles and responsibilities and decreased confidence when working in the healthcare setting. The purpose of this project utilizes a setting specific educational intervention and skills check off to increase job self-efficacy …