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Tennessee Long-Term Care Ombudsman Annual Report 2025, Tennessee. Department Of Disability And Aging

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Report

This document reports statistics concerning complaints made by residents in long-term care facilities in Tennessee over the fiscal year.

Social Determinants Of Mental Health Outcomes, Ariana Fein

Honors Theses

Mental health disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, are a growing global concern with profound consequences on individuals' well-being and societal functioning. The burden of these disorders is not only psychological but also economic, affecting quality of life. Mental health outcomes are heavily influenced by a range of social determinants, such as financial status, education, and access to healthcare. While extensive research has focused on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) countries, there remains a significant gap in understanding how these determinants affect mental health in low-resource settings or non-WEIRD countries. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the …

The Intersection Of Dementia And Criminal Behavior, J. Taylor Humphrey

Marquette Law Review

As the number of individuals affected by dementia increases, the criminal justice system continues to face questions about dementia and criminal responsibility. However, gaps in the legal process have left these individuals, incapable of forming intent, vulnerable to wrongful punishment. Courts rely on traditional culpability frameworks that fail to account for the nuance in dementia-related cognitive decline, and, as a result, prisons are forced to function as de facto nursing homes lacking adequate resources to provide proper care. This Comment proposes treating dementia as a sliding scale, arguing for a context-specific response through streamlined crisis response, use of diversion programs, …

Nirsa Student Referees: Exploring The Connection Between Sense Of Community And Positive Health And Well-Being Outcomes, Jacob K. Tingle

School of Business Faculty Research

Despite working in complex environments, which require managing antagonistic and abusive relationships, sport referees are essential to ensure fair and safe competition. Evidence suggests officiating can positively impact well-being and officiating communities provide social support. Despite those positives, there remains a shortage of qualified officials, which is compounded by aging referee populations. These concerns emphasize the need to attract young people and examine well-being benefits resulting from involvement in officiating communities. As such, the aim of this study is to help NIRSA professionals better understand how the community or social networks made through officiating intramural sports could better support student …

Renewable Energy’S Impact On Economic Growth: The Role Of Institutions – A Case Study From Africa, Bashiru Ibrahim

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study investigates the impact of renewable energy consumption (REC) on African economy, and particularly the moderating effect of institutional quality. Since the world remains concerned with sustainability and its heavy reliance on fossil fuels, it is relevant to determine the economic impacts of REC. Using Driscoll-Kraay Fixed Effects Standard Estimate (DKSE) on a panel data of 49 African countries from 1974 to 2023, the findings indicate that there is a statistically significant low negative correlation between REC and economic growth, suggesting that higher dependence on renewable energy tends to be associated with slower economic performance in Africa based on …

Knowledge Integrated Deep Learning For Enhanced Fault Diagnosis And Prognosis For Rotating Machinery And Its Applications On Marine Systems, Yunsheng Su

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation develops a knowledge-informed deep learning framework for robust fault diagnosis and prognosis across various engineered systems, including bearings, lithium-ion batteries, and mooring systems in wave energy converters (WECs). A deep transfer learning (DTL) method is first developed to improve bearing fault diagnosis by fusing data from multiple sources and extracting key features using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Building upon this, a knowledge-informed deep network (KIDN) framework is proposed, integrating physics-based features with deep learning to enhance diagnostic accuracy and generalizability. A constrained Gaussian process (CGP) model is further employed to guide adaptive network design and reduce model tuning …

Computational Tools For Protein Classification In Metagenomes, Fawad Ullah

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Advances in genomic sequencing have dramatically increased the amount and the speed at which genomic data is being generated. These technological advances have enabled the ability to profile the genetic information of organisms and communities at unprecedented scales. Many methods have been developed to identify and classify genes within these datasets. However, many generic pipelines for gene annotation struggle to accurately predict specific protein classes that may not be represented in their databases. Two major challenges exist for classification of specific protein classes in metagenomic databases. The first is the fact that many metagenomic assemblies are highly fragmented with many …

The Role Of Remote Sensing And Gis Techniques In Analysis Of Southern California Wildfires In January 2025, Sara Fitzgibbon

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

California is no stranger to wildfires, with them becoming more frequent and larger in recent years. In early January 2025, Southern California had one of the worst outbreaks of wildfires in its history, with the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Fires being considered among the most destructive in state history. To help prevent this from happening in the future, remote sensing techniques are essential in combating these issues. In this report, geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing data utilized to explore fire behavior by various organizations were investigated. By using this data, this study aims to predict and monitor fire …

Effectiveness, Coherence, And Justice Implications Of Clean Energy Policies In The United States, Josephine Amponsem

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Public policies have been adopted and implemented at various government levels in the United States, aiming to facilitate the clean energy transition process. This dissertation examines three distinct but related dimensions of clean energy policies: policy effectiveness, policy coherence, and distributional policy impact. First, I evaluate the impact of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) on clean energy adoption at the utility level using a quasi-experimental design: the Difference-in-Difference estimation. Secondly, I use the state of California as a case study to investigate the role of policy coherence in public policy success. Thirdly, I investigate whether communities with different …

Empowering Young Learners From Diverse Economic Backgrounds, Tonya Wilson-Story

Graduate Research Papers

This paper explores the importance and benefits of empowering young learners from diverse economic backgrounds through goal setting, specifically focusing on students enrolled in an urban school serving a highly diverse population. Over time, students have changed neurologically and behaviorally—shaped in part by the influence of technology, which has affected how they process information and maintain attention. As a result, today’s students learn differently than in previous generations. Research shows that many young learners now enter school with only half the vocabulary of their middle-class peers (Wentzel, 2020), underscoring the urgent need for new instructional approaches that effectively engage and …

Protecting The Mental Health Of Children Exposed To Domestic Violence In Dallas, Texas, Lakitta Brewton

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: This project Aims to explore the impacts of domestic violence and provide a prevention focused response that prioritizes early intervention over crisis management. Shifting the focus from reactive to proactive care will strengthen the community's well-being and ensure that families receive the support they need and deserve.

Significant Findings: Children who are exposed to domestic violence are at a much higher risk of developing mental health challenges, like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NCTSN, 2022). In Dallas, the numbers are alarming, with over 13,800 family violence incidents reported in 2023, many of which involved children, either …

Remixing Oer Assignment: "Advantges And Disadvantages Of State-Level Policies", Katie Zuber

Open Educational Resources

This assignment, created by Katie Zuber, uses OER readings to help students understand how federalism impacts their everyday lives. Using the United States’ response to the Coronavirus as a case study, students will see firsthand that where decisions get made (i.e., the state or federal level) often dictates who gets what, when, and how. This assignment was made as part of a workshop on remixing OERs at John Jay College in 2025.

Deep Learning Based Gait Video Data Validation, Michael Sensenbrenner

CURE Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Fractured Trust: Montana's Tribes Find Hope During The Chaotic First 100 Days Of Trump's Second Term, 2025, University Of Montana--Missoula. School Of Journalism. Native News Honors Project

Native News Honors Project, 1992-2026

An annual publication that is reported, photographed, edited, and designed by students in the University of Montana’s School of Journalism.

Climate Change And Parenthood: Impact On Family Size Decision-Making, Minha Hossain, Jennifer Lai, Mindy Engle-Friedman

Publications and Research

This study explores how parental status relates to childbearing decisions in the context of climate change and builds on prior research linking climate anxiety to reduced family size intentions. A survey of 114 participants revealed that non-parents were significantly more likely than parents to plan to have fewer children and to express concerns about climate change. These findings underscore differences in how parents and non-parents approach future reproductive decisions and highlight the role of climate-related concerns in shaping family planning intentions.

Improving Teacher Effectiveness, Keith D. Powell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied action research with a program evaluation aimed to determine if the Improving Effectiveness Three (IE3) program which is composed of professional development on the Professional Growth System (PGS), engagement in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and participation in the New Teacher Academy (NTA) improves teacher effectiveness at North Panama High School (NPHS) as measured by the Mississippi Professional Growth System.

For the past five years, the United States has struggled to fully staff public schools with highly effective teachers. This struggle is increasingly difficult in several southern states. North Panama High School, surrounded by more affluent school districts, experiences …

Creating A Mentorship Program For Assistant Principals To Improve Instructional Leadership, Shadonica Sharee Scruggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective instructional leadership is essential for strengthening teachers’ instructional capacity and improving student outcomes. However, many assistant principals often lack the mentorship and targeted professional development needed to thrive in this critical role. Providing them with the right support can bridge this gap, empowering them to become transformative leaders in their schools. In this study, I explored the development and implementation of a mentorship program designed to strengthen the instructional leadership skills of assistant principals with the ultimate goal of enhancing student learning outcomes. Using an applied research design, I collected data through surveys, focus groups, and interviews with assistant …

Exploring The Perceptions Of Non-Traditional Graduate Students About Their Experiences With Social Presence In Online Professional Degree Programs, Courtney Elizabeth Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rise of virtual learning has been significant in recent years, with the percentage of degree programs offered exclusively online increasing from 15.4% in 2019 to 60% in 2022. While online courses provide flexibility and convenience, concerns have emerged regarding student engagement, learning outcomes, and satisfaction. Due to limited interactions with peers and instructors, virtual students often struggle with motivation and experience higher levels of anxiety, stress, and isolation compared to their in-person counterparts.

A key factor influencing student success in online courses is social presence, defined as the extent to which learners feel connected and engaged with their instructor …

Framing Ncaa V. Alston: Amicus Briefs’ Competing Visions Of Student-Athlete Compensation, Stuart A. Sutton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to examine how amici curiae frame policy preferences in amicus briefs submitted before the United States Supreme Court in NCAA v. Alston (2021). The questions addressed in this study were what dominant policy frames did interest groups use to frame policy preference in NCAA v. Alston (2021), and which (if any) policy frames in the amicus briefs emerged in the written opinions of the United States Supreme Court? This analysis indicates the complexities and intricacies of competing vision of student-athlete compensation within the persuasive lens of amicus briefs through interest groups. In …

The Moderating Role Of Engagement On Mindfulness, Sarah Rose Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the moderating role of engagement in a technology-based mindfulness intervention among college students. Drawing on archival data from a prior randomized controlled trial, the analysis focused on whether self-reported engagement influenced changes in mindfulness as measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Seventy-five participants in the mindfulness intervention group received brief psychoeducational and practice-based text messages over a 21-day period. A moderation analysis using PROCESS macro tested whether engagement moderated the relationship between pre- and post-intervention mindfulness scores. Results indicated that engagement did not significantly moderate changes in total FFMQ scores, providing no support for …

Quality Improvement Project: Improving Nursing Faculty Perception Of Student Advising, Gayla Micek

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This DNP Project aimed to influence a process change within the nursing faculty advising process for pre-licensure nursing students at the project site. The clinical site mandates faculty to meet with their assigned advisees twice per academic semester for advising. However, no guidelines have been provided by the educational institution on items to cover during these advising meetings. A mixed method approach, pre- and post-survey design with quantitative and qualitative data collection was utilized for this project. The major findings from this DNP project support evidence from the literature review that include the need for a structured faculty advising process, …

Introduction, Topeka Small Singleton

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Imagine a nearly 70- year- old woman clad in a leather black catsuit, complete with a leather whip. This striking image confronted me at a campus- wide meeting leading up to a crucial 10- year reaffirmation visit from the regional accreditor. As a 23- year- old new faculty member, I was baffled by the spectacle. The consensus on campus was clear: this reaffirmation was a serious matter. Failure to meet the accountability standards could lead to job losses and the immediate loss of accreditation, according to my finite understanding. Yet here we were, in the midst of what appeared to …

Funding Trends In Higher Education That Have Significant Impact On Accountability, William R. Stripling

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

For many years, higher education has come under fire for its lack of accountability. During this period, there has been increasing scrutiny over how universities allocate and spend their budgets. While state and federal funding sources have dwindled, the cost of operating a university has continued to rise. Politicians have publicly pressured universities to avoid raising tuition, yet this has led to public outcry over the return on investment of obtaining a higher education degree. Many parents have also expressed outrage over the rising costs and lack of accessibility. The reduction in financial resources has left many universities with limited …

Project Portfolio: Strengthening Marital Bonding In Indonesian Christian Spouses Through A Contextually Designed Marriage Enrichment Retreat Curriculum, Dinka Nehemia Utomo

Doctor of Leadership

Numerous couples in our local church struggle to maintain their marital commitment and longing helps to overcome marriage hurdles. Regrettably, the denominations in our context, have not developed a coherent plan or roadmap for empowering and enriching married couples. While serving as a pastor, I witnessed countless couples in many congregations dealing with marital troubles in solitude without the required support from the church. I started developing a curriculum to satisfy this requirement in response to this circumstance. This project seeks to strengthen marital commitment, increase intimacy, and promote harmonious and loving relationships by applying biblical principles. A Marriage Enrichment …

Project Portfolio: Connecting Through Conflict, Jennifer Vernam

Doctor of Leadership

The Connecting Through Conflict project was designed to respond to the following NPO statement: “Christians are prioritizing their ideologies above core tenants, which is challenging their Christ-centered freedoms and presenting barriers to living in community.” Using a collaborative design model for discovery with various stakeholder groups, it was identified that Christian leaders do not have strategies for managing ideological conflict in their communities. This deficit, in turn led to conflicts to being avoided, driving those with minority views to perceive themselves as outsiders to their communities of faith. The resulting product was designed to empower Christian leaders to normalize the …

Project Portfolio: Ties, Strong And Weak: Toward The Flourishing Of A Leader’S Network, Matthew Travis Vaughn

Doctor of Leadership

NPO: Presbyteries promote connectionalism, yet pastors and ministry leaders experience isolation and burnout, lacking healthy communication, trustworthy relationships, and healthy life-rhythms which affect their well-being. I serve as the executive director of church planting for a regional presbytery in the Presbyterian Church in America denomination. Additionally, for many years I have served as a coach and consultant to pastors, church planters, and executives primarily in the nonprofit space. Prior to this project, I was aware of various resources available to pastors and ministry leaders who are stressed out, lonely, or discouraged. At the same time, there was a gap in …

The Lived Experiences Of Physical Therapy Educators During Ethics Instruction, Erin Simunds Pt

Doctorate in Education

Physical therapy educators must prepare students to navigate the ethical complexity and pressures of clinical practice. However, limited evidence exists regarding the best pedagogical strategies to develop future clinicians' ethical skills. This study aimed to explore how physical therapy ethics educators integrated their personal and professional experiences with academic elements when designing and implementing ethics instruction. The research draws from the semi-structured interviews of eight educators teaching ethics in Midwestern physical therapy programs to discover instructional patterns supporting student engagement with the content. Participants' narratives specified how curriculum design considerations, critical thinking dispositions, and organizational alignment factors influenced their approach …

A Hybrid Model To Assess Commercial Port Resilience In Taiwan, Po-Hsing Tseng, James J.H. Liou

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Since 2021, international commercial ports have faced unprecedented challenges (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, Suez Canal congestion), impacting daily life, work, human well-being, properties, the environment, and socio-economic activities. The adaptation capability resilience of international commercial ports to respond to external changes has become crucial. This study develops an expert knowledge-based hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model integrating Best-Worst Method (BWM), Rough Dombi Aggregator, and Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) to evaluate port resilience capabilities, using Taiwan's international commercial ports as a case study. We propose four evaluation dimensions encompassing 13 indicators: detection capability, resistance capability, resource integration capability, and recovery capability. The BWM determined …

Assessing Container Port Performance In Southeast Asia: An Environment Perspective, Phong Nha Nguyen, Gunwoo Lee, Hwayoung Kim

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The rapid expansion of Southeast Asia’s container port systems has intensified environmental concerns, necessitating an assessment of both operational and environmental efficiency. This study evaluates environmental operational efficiency by analyzing ship emissions during cargo handling at 20 major ports in 2022, using a bottom-up methodology within the SBM-DEA model. Emissions were treated as an undesirable output to compare ports’ efficiency levels. Findings indicate that rising cargo handling activities have significantly increased emissions. Larger ports in the region demonstrated higher operational efficiency than smaller ports. They also attained environmental efficiency by leveraging scale advantages, adopting advanced technology, and investing in green …

ปัจจัยที่สัมพันธ์กับความร่วมมือในการรักษา ของผู้ติดเชื้อเอชไอวีที่มีโรคร่วมวัณโรค, ปริญญดา เปการี, ศิรินภา จิตติมณี, สุรีพร ธนศิลป์

Journal of Nursing Research, Innovation, and Health

วัตถุประสงค์: ศึกษาความร่วมมือในการรักษาของผู้ติดเชื้อเอชไอวีที่มีโรคร่วมวัณโรค และศึกษาปัจจัยที่มีความสัมพันธ์ กับความร่วมมือในการรักษาของผู้ติดเชื้อเอชไอวีที่มีโรคร่วมวัณโรค

รูปแบบการวิจัย: การวิจัยเชิงบรรยายแบบหาความสัมพันธ์

วิธีดำเนินการวิจัย: กลุ่มตัวอย่าง คือ ผู้ที่ได้รับการวินิจฉัยว่าติดเชื้อเอชไอวีและเป็นวัณโรค มีอายุตั้งแต่ 20 -59 ปี จำนวน 84 ราย จากคลินิกยาต้านเอชไอวีและคลินิกโรคปอด ณ โรงพยาบาลระดับตติยภูมิ 3 แห่งในจังหวัดกรุงเทพมหานคร เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการวิจัย ได้แก่ แบบสอบถามข้อมูลส่วนบุคคล แบบประเมินความร่วมมือในการรักษา แบบประเมินการสนับสนุนทางสังคม แบบประเมินปัญหาการดื่มเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ แบบประเมินความรู้เกี่ยวกับการรักษาด้วยยาต้านเอชไอวีและยารักษาวัณโรค และแบบประเมินการตีตราภายในตนเองในผู้ติดเชื้อเอชไอวี เก็บรวมรวมข้อมูลระหว่างเดือนมกราคม ถึงเดือนพฤษภาคม 2567 โดยกลุ่มตัวอย่างตอบแบบสอบถามขณะมารับการรักษา ณ คลินิกยาต้านเอชไอวี วิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยใช้สถิติบรรยาย สถิติสหสัมพันธ์ของเพียร์สัน และสถิติสหสัมพันธ์ของสเปียร์แมน

ผลการศึกษา: กลุ่มตัวอย่างจำนวน 84 ราย มีระดับความร่วมมือในการรักษาโดยรวมในระดับสูง (  =  56.23, SD  =  6.81) การสนับสนุนทางสังคม มีความสัมพันธ์ทางบวกกับความร่วมมือในการรักษา อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติที่ระดับ .05 (r  =  .218) และ การดื่มเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ มีความสัมพันธ์ทางลบกับความร่วมมือในการรักษา อย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติที่ระดับ .05 (rs  =  -.311) แต่ความรู้เกี่ยวกับการรักษาด้วยยา ต้านเอชไอวีและยารักษาวัณโรค (r  =  .189) และ การตีตราภายในตนเอง (r  =  -.119) ไม่มีความสัมพันธ์กับความร่วมมือในการรักษาอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติ

สรุป: ผลการศึกษานี้สามารถเป็นแนวทางในการพัฒนาโปรแกรมในการพยาบาล การส่งเสริมพฤติกรรมการให้ความร่วมมือในการรักษาของผู้ติดเชื้อเอชไอวีที่มีโรคร่วมวัณโรค