Digital Commons Network^™

A Mobile Health Transitional Care Intervention Delivered By Nurses Improves Postdischarge Outcomes Of Caregivers Of Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Amelia Ganefianty, Praneed Songwathana, Jintana Damkliang, Akhmad Imron, Jos M. Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

OBJECTIVE: Caring for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the transition from hospital to home can be psychologically challenging to caregivers. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a novel mobile health (m-health) transitional care intervention to reduce stress and burden of caregivers of patients with TBI and to reduce readmissions.

METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 74 caregivers of adult patients with moderate or severe TBI admitted to a referral hospital in Indonesia. An m-health application for Android mobile phones was designed including education and information for caregivers. The application included an online chat feature …

Constitutional Supremacy, Inherent Powers, And Orders That Damages Or Costs Be Paid In Instalments: Tan Meow Hiang V Ong Kay Yong [2023] Sghc 286, Benjamin Joshua Ong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The General Division of the High Court of Singapore stated (obiter) in Tan Meow Hiang v Ong Kay Yong that it does not have a general power to order that damages or costs be paid in instalments. It reasoned that any such power must have been impliedly restricted by legislation. So instalment orders can only be made (a) by certain subordinate courts; (b) by the General Division on appeal; (c) by the General Division at first instance in personal injury cases. In response, this note aims to advance the conversation on the law on instalment orders and what the Constitution …

Evaluation Of Modulus Of Elasticity Of Concrete Containing Both Natural And Recycled Concrete Aggregates, Zaiwei Li, Long Yuan Li, Shanshan Cheng

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

There is growing requirement to use recycled aggregate in concrete to demote industrial wastes produced by construction sectors. Thus, to develop simple but meaningful formulations to assess the mechanical properties of concrete, when it is mixed with both natural and recycled aggregates, becomes essential. In the present study an analytical approach to calculate the elastic modulus of concrete containing both natural and recycled concrete aggregates is proposed. The approach is developed on the concept of effective medium approximation but considering the effect of Poisson's ratio. Two analytical formulas are derived. One is for the two-phase concrete (mortar and aggregate) that …

Instructional Design And Delivery During The Pandemic: Taiwan, I-Ting Chiu, Hui-Ting Wang, Hank Bohanon

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This volume offers international perspectives on the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on disabled students and their families, serving as a call to action for educational systems and education policy to become proactive, rather than reactive, for future disasters. Each chapter in the book is written by authors with lived experiences across diverse global regions, highlighting the daily life of people with disabilities and their families during the pandemic. Including case studies and practical suggestions, the book demonstrates that culturally responsive practices are essential to successfully support people around the world in their times of need. At the critical intersection …

Performance Characteristics Of The 5-Ring Ge Discovery Mi Pet/Ct Scanner Using Aapm Tg-126 Report, Refaat Y Almazrou, Shadei F Alanazi, Mohammed H Alzaid, Razan S Al-Fakhranee, Shanli Ding, Osama R Mawlawi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIM: To report on the performance characteristics of the 5-ring GE Discovery MI PET/CT systems using the AAPM TG-126 report and compare these results to NEMA NU 2-2012 where applicable.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: TG-126 testing was performed on two GE 5-Rings Discovery MI scanners. Tests performed included spatial resolution, PET/CT image-registration accuracy, sensitivity, count rate performance, accuracy of corrections, image contrast, scatter/attenuation correction, and image uniformity. All acquired data were analyzed using scanner console or free software tools as described by TG-126 and the results were then compared to published NEMA NU 2-2012 values.

RESULTS: Both scanners gave similar resolution …

Intraprocedural Versus Initial Follow-Up Minimal Ablative Margin Assessment After Colorectal Liver Metastasis Thermal Ablation: Which One Better Predicts Local Outcomes?, Yuan-Mao Lin, Iwan Paolucci, Jessica Albuquerque Marques Silva, Caleb S O'Connor, Bryan M Fellman, Aaron K Jones, Joshua D Kuban, Steven Y Huang, Zeyad A Metwalli, Kristy K Brock, Bruno C Odisio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of 3-dimensional minimal ablative margin (MAM) quantified by intraprocedural versus initial follow-up computed tomography (CT) in predicting local tumor progression (LTP) after colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) thermal ablation.

Materials and methods: This single-institution, patient-clustered, tumor-based retrospective study included patients undergoing microwave and radiofrequency ablation between 2016 and 2021. Patients without intraprocedural and initial follow-up contrast-enhanced CT, residual tumors, or with follow-up less than 1 year without LTP were excluded. Minimal ablative margin was quantified by a biomechanical deformable image registration method with segmentations of CLMs on intraprocedural preablation …

Disease Progression, Survival, And Molecular Disparities In Black And White Patients With Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma In Real-World Registries And Gog/Nrg Oncology Randomized Phase Iii Clinical Trials, Zachary A Kopelman, Chunqiao Tian, Jordyn Tumas, Neil T Phippen, Christopher M Tarney, Erica R Hope, Stuart S Winkler, Suzanne Jokajtys, Calen W Kucera, John K Chan, Michael T Richardson, Daniel S Kapp, Chad A Hamilton, Charles A Leath, Nathaniel L Jones, Rodney P Rocconi, John H Farley, Angeles Alvarez Secord, Casey M Cosgrove, Matthew A Powell, Ann Klopp, Joan L Walker, Gini F Fleming, Nicholas W Bateman, Thomas P Conrads, G Larry Maxwell, Kathleen M Darcy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Investigate racial disparities in outcomes and molecular features in Black and White patients with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC).

METHODS: Black and White patients diagnosed with EEC who underwent hysterectomy ± adjuvant treatment in SEER, National Cancer Database (NCDB), the Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) project (v.13.0), and eight NCI-sponsored randomized phase III clinical trials (RCTs) were studied. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated for cancer-related death (CRD), non-cancer death (NCD), and all-cause death.

RESULTS: Black (n = 4397) vs. White (n = 47,959) patients in SEER had a HR (95% CI) of 2.04 (1.87-2.23) …

The Effects Of Carbon Choice & Nitrate Loading On Ifas Partial Denitrification/Anammox Processes, Lawrence Cornelius

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The Hampton Roads Sanitation District's James River Treatment Plant traditionally operated with an A2O configuration and aerobic IFAS. To improve nitrogen removal, eight of the nine treatment trains were reconfigured to a 5-stage process by converting their second anoxic zones to moving media IFAS with WWW2 media (World Water Works). This enabled the incorporation of the partial denitrification/anammox (PdNA) process. For effective partial denitrification in the second anoxic zone, a carbon source is required to convert NO₃-N (nitrate-nitrogen) to NO₂-N (nitrite-nitrogen), which anammox bacteria use. Ethanol was explored as a potential cost-effective alternative carbon source, hypothesized …

Scaled And Graduated Learning In Deep Relu Networks And Reconstructing Depp Inelastic Scattering Kinematics, Abdullah Ayar Farhat

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

To address computational challenges in learning deep neural networks, properties of deep RELU networks were studied to develop a multi-scale learning model. The multi-scale model was compared to the multi-grade learning models. Unlike the deep neural network learned from the standard single-scale, single-grade model, the multi-scale neural networks use low scale information from all hidden layers, and thusly provide a robust approximation method that requires fewer parameters, lower computational time, and is resistant to noise. It is shown that the multiscale method is not subject to issues arising from the vanishing gradient problem. This allows very deep multi-scale networks to …

Examining The Role Of Access To Capital, Social Capital Networks, And Education In Supporting Black Founders And Investors In Technology-Based Entrepreneurship, Akosua Acheamponmaa

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, a report from the Kauffman Index of Startup Activity shows that 540,000 Americans launch businesses each month (Fairlie et al., 2017). However, the number of women-owned and minority-owned businesses in the United States (U.S.) is disproportionately less than the proportion of women and minorities in the U.S. Although women slightly outnumber men in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019), new women-owned businesses represent only 39.4% of all U.S. businesses, while new male-owned businesses represent 60.51% (Fairlie et al., 2017). While Blacks or African Americans comprise approximately 13.4% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019), only 9.24% …

Time Series Modeling To Ascertain Age In Fisheries Management, Kathleen Sue Kirch

OES Theses and Dissertations

The ability to assign accurate ages of fish is important to fisheries management. Accurate ageing allows for the most reliable age-based models to be used to support sustainability and maximize economic benefit. Structures used to age include bones, scales, and most commonly ear bones (otoliths). Assigning age relies on validating putative annual marks by evaluating accretional material laid down in patterns in fish otoliths, typically by marginal increment analysis. These patterns often take the shape of a sawtooth wave with an abrupt drop in accretion yearly to form an annual band and are typically validated qualitatively. Researchers have shown keen …

A Trustworthy Self-Sovereign Data And Identity Management Framework, Efat Fathalla

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Data is a fundamental building block in the digital world, providing a basis for decision making and growth across numerous applications. In our modern world, we have become accustomed to collecting data on everything, including devices, machines, and people. The increased value of such data has led to aggressive harvesting mechanisms that prioritize data collection, storage, and pervasiveness while often disregarding security, privacy concerns, and compliance with regulations and standards. Such a pervasive attitude towards data has resulted in a loss of control, prompting concerns among individuals and mobilizing the scientific community towards advocating for data self-sovereignty.

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) …

Preserving Location Authenticity: Multi-Sensor System To Thwart Gps Spoofing In Self-Driving Vehicles, Peng Jiang

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The ubiquity of the Global Positioning System (GPS) has cemented its role as the cornerstone for an array of location-based services and navigation systems, spanning applications from autonomous vehicles and drones to maritime vessels and wearable technology. Nonetheless, ensuring the integrity of reported geographical coordinates poses a formidable challenge, owing to the proliferation of diverse GPS spoofing tools. This predicament is compounded by the pervasive availability of tools like Fake GPS, Lockito, and software-defined radios, enabling even unsophisticated users to commandeer and disseminate counterfeit GPS coordinates. This dissertation undertakes the task of devising an encompassing and resilient framework, integrating a …

Understanding Universal Design For Learning Implementation: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Higher Education Faculty And Instructional Designers, Breanne A. Kirsch

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Faculty face a rising challenge in supporting diverse student populations on campuses (Bastedo et al., 2013). Inclusive pedagogy, facilitated by UDL, helps alleviate learning barriers for diverse student groups (Basham & Blackorby, 2021). However, the ambiguous operational definition of UDL poses practical challenges in implementation and assessment (Diedrich, 2021), especially when it is described variably as a practice, framework, or intervention in the literature (Basham & Blackorby, 2021). This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the meaning faculty and instructional designers ascribe to the experience of implementing UDL in higher education.

The main question is: what is the meaning that faculty and …

Maladaptive Social Media Use Motives, Emotional Well-Being, And Drinking Behaviors Among College Students, Rachel Ayala Guzman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Young adult college students are one of the greatest at-risk populations for problematic alcohol-related behaviors (e.g., excessive use). Experiencing greater emotional distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) has been linked to problematic drinking, and rates of college students struggling with their mental health is higher than other populations. Social media has proliferated in recent years, potentially increasing the risk of experiencing negative emotional effects for avid users like college students. Literature is mixed regarding social media’s impact on emotional well-being and scant studies have investigated how motives of social media use (i.e., why people are using social media) may be …

Structural Characterization Of A Tritruss Module, Lauren M. Simmons

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The TriTruss is a novel structural module developed by researchers at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) that can be used in space to assemble large support structures for a variety of applications. One such application is the metering truss or primary mirror backbone support structure of an In-Space Assembled Telescope (iSAT). For the iSAT application, the TriTruss will be supporting mirror segments, payloads, and instruments, all of which require the TriTruss to have a high stiffness. Structural characterization from testing and analysis is needed to ensure the integrity of the struts that make up a TriTruss module is maintained when …

Visual Attention In Remote Vehicle Supervision: Examining The Effects Of Mental Models And Information Bandwidth, Michael Stanley Politowicz

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Advances in automation and aviation technologies have been catalysts for the emerging market of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), an ecosystem of novel aircraft concepts including package delivery drones and passenger carrying air-taxis. Future aircraft operators in this environment will be tasked with remotely supervising multiple highly automated aircraft on a visual interface while receiving less training than traditional pilots. More research should explore how an operator’s potentially limited understanding of an automated system affects visual performance and interactions between human operators and AAM technologies. This study examined the influence of mental models of an autopilot system on visual attention allocation …

Identification Of Quality Indicators Of Visual Based Learning Material In Technology Education Programs For Grades 6th - 9th In Greek Schools In Cyclades Aegean Islands, Spyridoula Tsouganatou

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify quality indicators for visual based learning material for technology education classes for grades 6th to 9th. This is a three round Delphi study aimed in answering the following research question. RQ: What are the quality indicators that contribute to the successful selection of visual-based learning material that contribute effectively to transmitting pedagogical information in a technology education classroom for grades 6^th -9^th? The quality indicators were determined by the consensus reached by technology education expert panel/educators that have been identified for the contributions and expertise in the field of …

Quasi-Static And Impact Load Response Of Bfrp-Reinforced Concrete Beams And Post-Terrorist-Attack Sub-Assemblages, José Luis Carrasquillo

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents the outcome of a theoretical and experimental study of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP) reinforced concrete beams and post-terrorist-attack subassemblages subjected to either quasi-static or impact load. Both BFRP reinforcement as well as BFRP fabric are used in this investigation. The sub-assemblage consists of an otherwise two-span beam converted to a fixed-end single-span one owing to the loss of a middle column blasted off during the terrorist attack. The simply supported beams are subjected to a midspan quasistatic or an impact load. However, each sub-assemblage is subjected to a quasi-static load up to collapse to simulate the …

Wellness As A Predictor Of Turnover Intention In The Active Duty Military, Thomas Clifford Seguin

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Due to the unique nature of military service compared to civilian professions, military attrition is difficult to predict using methods derived from career development theories, so turnover remains an ongoing concern for the active duty military. For this reason, military attrition, through turnover intention, should be investigated through a novel lens with the intention of capturing an essence of military service which previous methods may have overlooked, namely the holistic construct of perceived wellness. Previous studies have shown how wellness-related factors affect turnover intention, but none has studied the relationship between perceived wellness and turnover intention. The main hypothesis of …

Law’S Impact On Collaboration: A Three-Case Study Of Federal Advisory Committees Managed By The U. S. Coast Guard, Brian K. Mcnamara

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Much remains to be learned about law’s impact on collaboration. Although law is one of the foundational disciplines of public administration, scholars assert that the field focuses on management principles to the detriment of law. Whether this assertion is correct as a general matter for the field, collaboration scholarship lacks empirical examination of the law’s role in collaboration processes.

This three-case study of federal advisory committees managed by the U.S. Coast Guard examines law’s impact on collaboration through the lens of Thomson and Perry’s (2006) Process Model. A qualitative method is used to capture participants’ perceptions of law and their …

The Khronicon Part One: A Child Of The Sancti, Richard Gerard Catoire

English Theses & Dissertations

The Old Dominion University Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program requires students to produce a professional-quality manuscript in their area of concentration, whether that area be fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, to serve as their thesis. Students in the fiction genre can chose to write a novel length manuscript of at least 120-pages in one fiction sub-genre (fantasy, historical, horror, literary, mystery/crime, romance, science fiction, suspense/thriller, westerns, and young adult), or they can chose to write a collection of short stories across multiple genres that adds up to a minimum of 120-pages.

The Khronicon Part One: A Child …

Inviting Submission: Isabella Beeton At The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine, 1856-1865, Julie Megan Sorge Way

English Theses & Dissertations

Isabella Beeton, creator of the iconic domestic manual Beeton’s Book of Household Management, died suddenly in 1865, just before her twenty-ninth birthday. Her popular book survived to codify stereotypical Victorian female ideals. Yet the “Mrs Beeton” mythos camouflages a remarkable talent: far from domestic drudgery, Beeton maintained a vibrant career as a writer and editor at the Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine (EDM), traveling widely to research the latest fashions and laboring behind the scenes to ensure the magazine’s success. Closely examining Beeton’s EDM work demonstrates how these formative, productive years shaped her later, more popular writing. Such a …

Spectroscopy Of Atmospheres, Randika Dodangodage

Physics Theses & Dissertations

Spectroscopic methods are used to study planetary and stellar atmospheres. The information obtained from spectroscopic studies provides insight into atmospheric compositions and dynamics, which can be used to model and characterize atmospheres and climates. Laboratory-recorded absorption cross-sections are needed to interpret the recorded spectra of planets and stars. High resolution ethane, neopentane, propene, and n-butane spectra have been recorded, and absorption cross-sections have been provided for different temperatures and total pressures with different broadening gases, including hydrogen, helium, and nitrogen. The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite orbits Earth and records spectra through solar occultation limb observations. HOCl is a chlorine …

More Than Representation Heartstopper: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, Tracyann Josephine Harmer

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

This thesis is a multimodal critical discourse analysis of Netflix’s Heartstopper, written with the goal of understanding its methods of representation and queer world creation. Through analysis of the ideology of heteronormativity as it relates to masculinity, internalized homophobia, homophobia, and mental health, I expand upon the significance of queer representation for queer audiences, heterosexual audiences, and producers of queer media. Through a nuanced analysis of these themes, I display how and why Heartstopper has had enormous success and expand upon the cultural phenomena surrounding this media. Finally, this thesis places these nuanced analyses into the real-world reaction to …

Development Of One And Two Current Transition Amplitudes With Two Body Final States, Keegan H. Sherman

Physics Theses & Dissertations

One of the biggest challenges facing modern day nuclear physics is understanding the structure of states within the hadronic spectrum of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). We have shown this spectrum to be quite rich with hundreds of allowed states; however, if we wish to better grasp the dynamics of QCD, then it is necessary that we start investigating the internal structure of these states. This may be done by probing these states with external currents, but this requires a description of the intersection of QCD with the electroweak sector. This work acts as a stepping stone in this direction. Working to …

3/5ths Of Freedom: The Analysis Of {With} Black Individuals In Higher Education And Navigating Society Post-Justice-Involvement, Gabrielle Sarah Smith Finnie

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Black individuals have been disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system in the United States (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2022). Because of their criminal justice involvement, Black individuals are perceived as second-class citizens making their quest for “freedom” an endless journey impacted by oppression and domination post-justice-involvement (Couloute & Kopf, 2018; Johnson, 2021; Pager, 2003). To combat domination and oppression, Freire (1970) emphasized pursuing higher education helps individuals who experience marginalization become more humanized and aids them on their plight to freedom. Research highlighted pursuing higher education post-justice-involvement is a liberatory yet challenging experience because of discriminatory on-campus …

Study Of Deep Learning Models To Classify Nasa’S Kepler Light Curves, Heena Minnich

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

The search for exoplanets has been an ongoing effort since the first discoveries of planets beyond our solar system in the 1990s. Finding a potentially habitable planet outside our solar system could provide key insights on life elsewhere in the universe. NASA Missions such as the Kepler, launched in 2009 and completed in 2018, have provided a massive amount of data in this goal by using the transit method to discover repetitive and periodic dips in visible light around a star. The transit method has been used to measure flux, the brightness of a star over time. These flux time …

Longitudinal Solid Polarized Target For Clas12 And Study Of Spin Structure Of Nucleons, Pushpa Pandey

Physics Theses & Dissertations

A suite of experiments measuring target-spin observables in electron-nucleon scattering (dubbed Run Group C) was conducted at Jefferson Lab’s Hall B in Newport News, VA with a new polarized nuclear target known as ‘APOLLO’ (Ammonia Polarized Longitudinally). This innovative target is engineered to seamlessly integrate with the advanced 12 GeV CEBAF (Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility) accelerator and the Hall B CLAS12 (12 GeV CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer) detector array. The ‘APOLLO’ target harnesses the power of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) to achieve longitudinal polarization of solid ammonia, thereby creating a net polarization in both protons (NH₃) and …

Computational Modeling And Analysis Of Facial Expressions And Gaze For Discovery Of Candidate Behavioral Biomarkers For Children And Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Megan Anita Witherow

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Facial expression production and perception in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggest the potential presence of behavioral biomarkers that may stratify individuals on the spectrum into prognostic or treatment subgroups. High-speed internet and the ease of technology have enabled remote, scalable, affordable, and timely access to medical care, such as measurements of ASDrelated behaviors in familiar environments to complement clinical observation. Machine and deep learning (DL)-based analysis of video tracking (VT) of expression production and eye tracking (ET) of expression perception may aid stratification biomarker discovery for children and young adults with ASD. However, there are open challenges in 1) facial …