Digital Commons Network^™

Pilot Testing A Qualitative Methodology To Evaluate The Perceived Benefits And Stressors Of Sole-Dog Ownership In Full-Time College Students, Emma Williams

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The number of individuals acquiring pets is continually increasing, with 71.5% of Americans owning a pet in 2012. Companion animals are a huge source of benefits but owning them can also come with several stressors. However, little research has been conducted on the negative aspects of dog ownership. This pilot test evaluates the perceived stressors and benefits of sole dog ownership in full-time college students. The pilot aimed to hold three focus groups from which qualitative thematic data were collected and quantitative were collected from a demographic survey of participants. Participants were asked a series of questions about sole dog …

Habitat Features And Behavioral Plasticity Promote Barred Owl Presence In Developed Landscapes, Marion Alice Clement

All Theses

Despite extensive accounts in the literature describing Barred Owls (Strix varia) as obligate forest-interior species that are sensitive to development, Barred Owls have increasingly been found in urbanized landscapes. Due to the limited number of studies on Barred Owls within the context of development, our understanding of the processes that facilitate Barred Owls within anthropogenic landscapes is limited. In the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States, South Carolina, the presence of Barred Owls in suburbs and small-town centers precipitated our research team to examine which habitat features facilitate their occurrence near development.

We conducted surveys using callbacks and autonomous …

Microbiological Safety Of Halal Beef In The United States, Omar Ahmed Al-Mahmood

All Dissertations

Halal foods, foods permissible per Islamic law, are a fast-growing segment of the global food industry. Most microbiological evidence about halal foods is from studies conducted in Muslim-majority countries not western (Muslim-minority) countries. We aimed to determine the microbiological quality of halal beef at both slaughter and retail in the southeastern United States as well as explore the role of Halal Certifying Bodies (HCBs) in overseeing implementation of food safety practices. The study was informed by two main hypotheses: (1) microbial load will be lower in the post-evisceration slaughter stage of beef carcass samples; (2) indicator organisms will be higher …

Examining Cultural Equity: Boston’S Arts & Culture Sector, Marian Taylor Brown

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

There is a cultural equity gap within the United States’ arts and culture landscape, constituting unequal representation of various identities in the arts, including, race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. These inequities reproduce within arts management, academia, artist sales, and donor and foundation demographics and priorities. With the objective of working toward creative justice in Boston’s arts and culture sector, this multiphase study employs transdisciplinary research using inductive, mixed-methods to learn: 1) current influencers’ understanding of the cultural equity gap; 2) current influencers’ motivations to eradicate the cultural equity gap; 3) how arts leaders with various marginalized identities …

An Economic Study Of Us Housing And Education Policy, Kenneth Whaley

All Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three studies of the relationship between neighborhoods, housing policy, and local public schools. In the first chapter I analyze mortgage loans and home val-ues from 2000-2014 to study housing markets in neighborhoods near racially diverse schools. Using a national sample of over 3,600 middle schools, I construct a measure of school de-mographic diversity and estimate how home values and mortgage loan amounts change as diversity increases. For identification I isolate variation in school demographics associated with the quasi-random timing of rental housing development under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program.

I find that mortgage amounts …

Habitat Modification On An Urban High School Campus, Nickolas John Davros Ii

Graduate Theses

Biodiversity is in a crisis worldwide, driven by the negative effects from urbanization. Ecosystems are being destroyed in favor of urban areas and natural resources are diminishing. Stormwater management has gained an elevated importance and its associated infrastructure could help counter the loss of biodiversity. Freshwater within urban areas is critical for organisms. Anthropogenic ponds can act as refuge habitats within a blue network and have become a hotspot for ecological research. Using principles of reconciliation ecology, the effects on biodiversity were assessed following the conversion of a stormwater basin on an urban high school in Charlotte, NC. A before-and-after …

The Current Mental Health Status Of Professional Asl/English Interpreters In The United States As It Pertains To Disorders: Specifically Focusing On Anxiety, Depression, Stress-Related Disorders, Personalities, And Work-Related Influencers, Nicole Denu Thorn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, variable-centered, correlational research design is to assess the mental health status of professional ASL/English interpreters currently working in the field. Specifically, this study looked at levels of anxiety, depression, and secondary stress within this population. It was postulated that many factors impact the mental health of professional interpreters; therefore, internal factors such as personality as well as external factors such as job demands were assessed. The findings of the research may prove helpful in developing future interpreter education as well as mental health care for current interpreters. A brief history of the profession is given …

Associations Of Sex, Gender, And Gender Role Beliefs With Mental Health Attitudes, Ariel Erazo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mental health stigma is a strong deterrent for individual with mental illness utilizing mental healthcare. Individuals living with a mental illness experience shame and marginalization due to stigma. Stigma is perpetuated through stereotypes created and used by people in the majority. Studies have been done to assess individual’s attitudes toward mental healthcare seeking in regards to gender, age, race, and profession. This study aimed to look at traditional gender role beliefs, sex, and gender expression as predictors of individual’s mental health attitudes and individual’s views of mental health norms. Using a cross-sectional survey, 392 participants completed scales that included the …

Standardizing Specialty Pharmacist Follow-Up Frequency In Patients Prescribed Inflammatory Disease-Modifying Therapies, Rochelle Castrillo, Linda Huynh, Tara Berkson, Adam Saulles

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Submission Category Specialty Pharmacy

Purpose Specialty medications for inflammatory conditions have demonstrated decreased effectiveness, safety, and quality of life, largely attributable to inadequate medication adherence. Furthermore, with poorer health outcomes, patients face greater healthcare costs associated with exacerbations, flares, and hospitalizations. Monitoring for non-adherence, side effects, and health status changes is essential for patients diagnosed with inflammatory conditions. The benefit of a standardized pharmacist clinical follow-up assessment is currently lacking in specialty pharmacy literature. This study will implement a standardized pharmacist follow-up frequency guide and determine its clinical value and utility for patient safety and therapeutic goals in newly established …

2020 Graduate Research Symposium: Posters From Distance Students, Shannon Bailey

Graduate Research Symposium

Frequently high school students and their parents are less engaged than their elementary and middle school counterparts, especially in relation to the school library. Research shows that students whose parents are engaged achieve more and those whose administrators communicate with them through social media feel a bigger sense of school connectedness. School libraries should promote their program using the social media platforms that parents and students utilize to build a sense of library community. The purpose of this nonexperimental study is to determine the best social media outlets to use in engaging high school library stakeholders.

Portland Public Schools Enrollment Forecast 2020-2021 To 2034-35, Based On October 2019 Enrollments, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Joshua Ollinger

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

This report presents the results of a demographic study conducted by the Portland State University Population Research Center (PRC) for Portland Public Schools (PPS). The study includes analysis of population, housing, and enrollment trends affecting the District in recent years, estimates of the number of PPS students by housing type, and annual forecasts of enrollment for a 15‐year horizon, from 2020‐21 to 2034‐35. Enrollment forecasts were prepared under high, middle, and low scenarios for the District. Forecasts for attendance areas by place of residence and for individual schools are consistent with the middle district‐wide forecast.

This Was The One For Me: Afd Women’S Origin Stories, Christina Xydias

Faculty Journal Articles

Next to the Alternative for Germany (AfD)’s nationalism and anti- immigrant attitudes, natalism and support for traditional gender roles are key components of the party’s far right categorization. Women are not absent from parties like the AfD, though they support them at lower rates than men and at lower rates than they support other parties. In light of women’s lower presence in far-right parties, how do women officeholders in the AfD explain their party affiliation, and how do their explanations differ from men’s? An answer is discernible at the nexus between AfD officeholders’ publicly available political backgrounds and the accounts …

The Law And Political Economy Of A Student Debt Jubilee, Luke Herrine

Buffalo Law Review

The notion of a student debt jubilee has begun its march from the margin of policy debates to the center, yet scholarly debate on the value of canceling student debt is negligible. This article attempts to jump start such debate in part by presenting a novel policy proposal for implementing a jubilee. In addition to reviewing the history of student debt and the arguments for canceling much or all of it, it presents a detailed legal argument that canceling public student debt (which accounts for 95% of student debt outstanding) could be undertaken by the Executive Branch without further legislation. …

Lay Leader Development And The Model Of Christ: Intentional Small Group Organization For Multiplying Groups At Green Acres Baptist Church, Michael Wayne Gossett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a strategic process for leader development utilizing small groups at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. The development of lay leaders will determine the efforts of starting and sustaining small groups and ministry efforts in the local church. The structure of groups and the strategy to develop leaders should be a replicable system formulated within biblical parameters. The biblical research is concentrated toward the methods practiced by Jesus with his disciples. Biblical discipleship is examined for the purpose of assessing adequate organization that cultivate leader development and group multiplication. Effective small …

Bayesian Analysis Of Binary Diagnostic Tests And Panel Count Data, Chunling Wang

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation mainly explores several challenging topics that arise in diagnostic tests and panel count data in the Bayesian framework. Binary diagnostic tests, particularly multiple diagnostic tests with repeated measures and diagnostic procedures with a large number of raters, are studied. For panel count data, most traditional methods only handle panel count data for a single type of recurrent event. In this dissertation, we primarily focus on the case with multiple types of recurrent events.

In Chapter 1, an introduction to the binary diagnostic tests data and panel count data is presented and related literature works are briefly reviewed. To …

What Interactive Strategies Promote Engagement For English Language Learners In A Post-Secondary Science Classroom?, Kristal Newman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The attendance rate of international students has nearly doubled in U.S colleges (Bergey et al., 2019). Many English Language Learners (ELL) are learning the English language while attending regular subject classes, such as biology. There can be many difficult challenges that arise for ELLs in science classes, such as the complex vocabulary of scientific terms. ELL students struggle in science classrooms and have less engagement in the material because of the language barrier and the complexity of the content (Short et al., 2011). Interactive lecturing is a great way to promote engagement in a science classroom with ELLs. Interactive Lecturing …

Teachers’ Experiences In Schools That Serve Rural Communities In The Dominican Republic: Their Readiness To Respond To Challenges, Nidia Beatriz Columna Pérez

Dissertations

In 2016, the Dominican Institute for Evaluation and Research of Educational Quality (IDEICE), indicated educational inequalities due to the geographical location of schools in the Dominican Republic. Despite several policies enacted by the Ministry of Education, including curriculum and teacher credentialing reforms, success indicators such as completion rates and academic performance still suggest a major achievement gap. Limitations in understanding the unique characteristics of schools that serve student in rural communities contribute to education policies that may not be sufficiently sensitive to those circumstances. One particular area of insufficient understanding is the manner in which teachers experience teaching in schools …

A Systematic Review Of Argumentation Related To The Engineering-Designed World, Amy Wilson-Lopez, Ashley R. Strong, Christina Marie Hartman, Jared Garlick, Karen H. Washburn, Angela L. Minichiello, Sandra Weingart, Jorge Acosta-Feliz

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Background

Across academic disciplines, researchers have found that argumentation‐based pedagogies increase learners' achievement and engagement. Engineering educational researchers and teachers of engineering may benefit from knowledge regarding how argumentation related to engineering has been practiced and studied.

Purpose/Hypothesis

Drawing from terms and concepts used in national standards for K‐12 education and accreditation requirements for undergraduate engineering education, this study was designed to identify how arguments and argumentation related to the engineering‐designed world were operationalized in relevant literature.

Methodology

Specified search terms and inclusion criteria were used to identify 117 empirical studies related to engineering argumentation and educational research. A qualitative …

Predicting Pilot Success Using Machine Learning, Aaron C. Giddings

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force has a pilot shortage. Unfortunately, training an Air Force pilot requires significant time and resources. Thus, diligence and expediency are critical in selecting those pilot candidates with a strong possibility of success. This research applies multivariate and statistical machine learning techniques to pilot candidates pre-qualification test data and undergraduate pilot training results to determine whether there are selected pre-qualification tests or specific training evaluations that do a \best" job of screening for successful pilot training candidates and distinguished graduates. Flight experience, both during training and otherwise, indicates pilot training completion and performance.

Unintended Pregnancy Among The Lgbtq+ Population, Kenna M. Barnes

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Unintended births are related to adverse health outcomes for both parents and children (Mosher, et al., 2012). For the context of this research, unintended will include both mistimed (too early) and unwanted (wanted to avoid pregnancy) pregnancies. Non-heterosexual women, defined as anyone who has same-sex sexual behaviors, attractions, or identities, make up about 5.1% of the population according to Williams Institute (2019). The impact of unintended pregnancy among non-heterosexual individuals is not well understood, creating large disparities in the community. This has manifested in emotional, physical, and social wellness gaps compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Buchmueller & Carpenter, 2010; Everett …

Framework For Change: Creating A Diversity Strategic Plan Within An Academic Library, Renna Tuten Redd, Alydia Sims, Tara Weekes

Publications

In December 2017, Clemson University’s administration via the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Diversity Leadership charged each college and the University Libraries with creating and implementing a diversity strategic plan to align with the ClemsonForward institutional strategic plan and assessment system. Clemson University Libraries answered this charge by creating a Libraries Diversity Plan Working Group (LDPWG), which applied a provided institutional framework to conduct an inventory of current diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and obtain input, feedback, and support from all the Libraries’ faculty and staff as well as the organization and institution administration to create an ambitious diversity …

Deaning From The Middle: Academic Deans’ Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Effectiveness, Christy M. Tabors, Jacob F. Brewer

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

As higher education changes, academic deans’ roles also adapt to meet the demands of increased enrollment and serving diverse student populations. Academic deans lead from the middle of their institutions; they must report to university administration, while serving the faculty members within their respective colleges or schools (Bright & Richards, 2001; Buller, 2007; Butin, 2016; Dill, 1980; Gallos, 2002; Morris, 1981; Perlmutter, 2017). To meet these demands, academic deans must develop emotional intelligence to lead effectively. Emotional intelligence serves as a skillset for academic deans to use in navigating their administrative duties and serving as leaders for their faculty and …

Effects Of Deliberate Practice Debriefing During A Response To Rescue Simulation With Undergraduate Nursing Students, Tia P. Andrighetti, Karen Shepherd, Deborah Bambini, Arleigh Bell, Barbara Aronson, Mary Meyer

Nursing Education Research Conference (NERC)

Studies have found novice nurses are inadequately prepared to respond to deteriorating patients, due to limited clinical experience. The purpose of this multi-site randomized pre/post-test experimental design study was to compare student nurse competency, learning retention and perceived support after exposure to a deliberate practice debriefing model versus standardized debriefing.

Isotope-Based Methods For Evaluating Fish Trophic Geographies, Julie L. Vecchio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Data on the movement and diets of fish during a variety of life stages are important inputs to fisheries stock assessments and marine ecosystem models. Stable isotopes may provide previously inaccessible information on movement and diet of a variety of managed and forage fish species. Here I used several novel means of interpretation for stable isotope data to infer diets and movements of several important fisheries species over both short (weeks to months) and long (lifetime) timescales. To calculate a constant partitioning offset (CPO) between the δ¹⁵N of muscle and of liver tissue, I conducted a literature search …

Here Comes The Sum

DePaul Magazine

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau will conduct its once-every-10-years count of people living in the country. The results of this census, as well as the other censuses the bureau conducts every year, fuel research and help determine the distribution of federal dollars. This article looks at research uses of the data and how the census has changed through the centuries.

Individual And Population Fitness Consequences Associated With Large Carnivore Use Of Residential Development, Heather Johnson, David L. Lewis, Stewart W. Breck

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Large carnivores are negotiating increasingly developed landscapes, but little is known about how such behavioral plasticity influences their demographic rates and population trends. Some investigators have suggested that the ability of carnivores to behaviorally adapt to human development will enable their persistence, and yet, others have suggested that such landscapes are likely to serve as population sinks or ecological traps. To understand how plasticity in black bear (Ursus americanus) use of residential development influences their population dynamics, we conducted a 6-yr study near Durango, Colorado, USA. Using space-use data on individual bears, we examined the influence of use of residential …

Women In (Em)Power: A Qualitative Study Of Orthodox Women Principals, Yael Wakslak Rosenberg

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Orthodox Jewish women who occupy the role of school principal in Orthodox Jewish schools. What distinguishes these individuals is that they are accomplished females who, in addition to overcoming the common challenges of women in leadership positions, as Orthodox Jews, their environments, both the ones they were raised in and the ones they currently work in, create a distinct expectation of gender roles, cultural identity and leadership characteristics. Additionally, this study explores how the shaping of their gender, cultural and leadership identities continue to manifest themselves and impact the …

Tools For Monitoring And Study Of Peregrine Pheretimoid Earthworms (Megascolecidae), Timothy S. Mccay, George Brown, Mac A. Callaham, Chih Han Chang, Andrea Dávalos, Annise Dobson, Josef H. Görres, Bradley M. Herrick, Samuel W. James, Marie R. Johnston, Damhnait Mchugh, Tanya Minteer, Jean David Moore, Maryam Nouri-Aiin, Marta Novo, Jaime Ortiz-Pachar, Rebecca A. Pinder, Justin B. Richardson, Bruce A. Snyder

Faculty and Staff Works

Peregrine pheretimoid earthworms, commonly known as jumping worms, are members of the family Megascolecidae that have become widely established outside of their native ranges. In many parts of the world this represents a second wave of earthworm invasions, following the introduction of peregrine European earthworms in the family Lumbricidae during the colonial era. Forest ecologists, turf managers, gardeners, and other land managers are concerned about the observed or presumed negative effects of jumping worms on invaded habitats. Although research on jumping worms has accelerated in recent decades, our understanding of their ecology remains limited. We compiled techniques useful to researchers …

It's Complicated: The Impact Of Marriage Legalization Among Sexual Minority Women And Gender Diverse Individuals In The United States, Laurie Drabble, Angie Wootton, Cindy Veldhuis, Ellen Perry, Ellen Riggle, Karen Trocki, Tonda Hughes

Faculty Publications

This mixed-methods study explored perceptions of the impact of marriage legalization in all U.S.states among sexual minority women and gender diverse individuals. Survey data were collectedfrom a nonprobability sample of individuals 18 years or older who identified as lesbian, bisexual,queer, same-sex attracted or something other than exclusively heterosexual—as well asindividuals who identified as transgender or gender nonbinary (for example, genderqueer, transwoman, trans man, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming). The analytic sample included 418participants in an online survey who responded to open-ended questions about the perceivedimpact of marriage legalization. Qualitative analyses revealed perceptions of marriagelegalization that situated individual meanings in the context …

Elementary Charter School Enrollment And Economic Segregation In Two Urban Minnesota Public School Districts, Jeffrey Michael Sambs

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used a quantitative historical research design and multivariate mixed method analysis to examine whether there is a relationship between charter school enrollment and economic segregation at the elementary level in the public schools of two urban Minnesota districts, Saint Paul Public Schools and Minneapolis Public Schools. Economic segregation is measured using dissimilarity index scores calculated from 2006 to 2010. Data were collected from the Minnesota Department of Education using the federally mandated October 1 reporting statistics database. The results of the study were different for each school district. There was a statistically significant, and positive, relationship between charter …