Digital Commons Network^™

Radiating Excellence: Leadership Styles In Nuclear Power That Influence Operators Towards Industry Best Practices, Joshua Copeland

Dissertations

Poor leadership is the root cause for the three most significant accidents in the nuclear industry. The purpose of this research was to determine the best leadership characteristics of operating supervisors at nuclear plants that could help prevent future accidents from happening. Operating supervisors are the leaders that have the greatest impact on how safe the nuclear plant is operating. A mixed method approach was used, where the quantitative study surveyed 77 supervisors about their leadership style and how well they influence standards adherence, and the qualitative study interviewed 11 subordinates of supervisors to determine how supervision helps them follow …

Sales Professional Preservation: Examining The Impact Of Incongruent Ideological Belief Systems On Intentions To Quit Among Sales Professionals, Brian Lee Morgan

Dissertations

Organizations that lead with ideologies of moral tradition, politics, and social economics are playing a losing game. The ideological belief system congruence within the organization between leaders and members creates a better atmosphere with less turnover and better recruitment. Sales professionals want an environment free of ideological incongruence. Without ideological alignment, they will defect from the organization. Leaders are miscalculating the negative impact on members’ intentions to quit when they are faced with leaders acting upon ideology changes that affect the member-customer ecosystem. In addition, leaders should be aware of the personal attributes that can exacerbate turnover and work to …

The Effect Of Simulation On Nurses’ Knowledge, Skills, And Confidence With Providing Post-Fetal Death Support To Bereaved Parents, Monique Scholine, Donna Davis, Shannon Zalewski, Sandria Jamieson, Kettia Antoine, Nicole Adokou, Kristi Vargo, Erin M. Franklin, Natalie Bermudez

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Reflecting On The Quality Of A Methodologically Pluralist Evaluation Of A Large-Scale Indigenous Health Research Collaboration In Australia, Jodie Bailie, Veronica Matthews, Alison Frances Laycock, Kathleen Conte, Lynette Feeney, Roxanne Bainbridge

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Indigenous communities worldwide lead calls for all evaluations of research, programmes and policies affecting their communities to reflect the values, priorities and perspectives of the Indigenous peoples and communities involved. Tools, such as the Quality Appraisal Tool (QAT), are available to assess research quality through an Indigenous cultural lens. Good evaluation requires that evaluation efforts be evaluated. We found that critical reflection on the quality of evaluations from an Indigenous perspective is largely absent from the published literature. To ensure that we strive for quality in evaluation as determined by Indigenous people with whom we work, we examined the quality …

Nebraska Conventional Farmers’ Perspectives Toward Agricultural Hemp: A Qualitative Insight Guided By The Diffusion Of Innovations Theory, Blake C. Colclasure, Nicholas Gray, Laura E. Young

Journal of Extension

The legalization of hemp cultivation in the United States has provided opportunities for farmers to grow a new crop. Despite these opportunities, significant social, economical, and technical challenges to growing hemp have been well documented. The purpose of this research was to explore Nebraska conventional farmers’ perceptions toward hemp cultivation. Using the diffusion of innovations theory as a framework, one-on-one interviews were conducted with seven conventional farmers in Nebraska. Data were analyzed using deductive coding methods. Results are presented in four emergent themes describing farmer perceptions: 1) limited prior exposure; 2) perceived technical challenges; 3) advantages; and, 4) impartial feelings.

Extension Efforts To Address The Current National Housing Crisis, Michael J. Dougherty, Melissa B. Hamilton, Bradley Neumann

Journal of Extension

Housing is a basic need. The National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP), Land Use Planning Community of Practice held a virtual forum in December 2021 on the national housing crisis. The session revealed common challenges communities face when addressing these issues locally. As a follow-up to that session, this paper summarizes Extension perspectives on community housing issues discussed during the session, reviews the literature on Extension programs related to housing, and makes the case for a national peer learning and communications network to address these difficult and urgent community housing challenges.

Recentering Community Nutrition Education: A New Framework For Food Insecurity Understanding, Chasity Tompkins

Journal of Extension

While strategies may differ across geographical regions, FACS Extension professionals work to enhance nutrition education and increase food security in their communities. The four dimensions of food security developed by The Food and Agricultural Organization were reconceptualized to understand food security on an individual or at a community level. Using experiences from a summer internship with two urban counties, the EEUESA Model described here was designed to aid FACS Extension professionals in their efforts for nutrition education and to better understand how programming targets food security in their communities.

Incorporating Subjective Measures Of Problematic Money Issues In Extension Workshops, Lucy M. Delgadillo Ph.D, Luke Erickson

Journal of Extension

This study highlights the importance of incorporating subjective measures of identifiable problematic money issues in financial education workshops conducted by extension specialists. Addressing problematic money behaviors such as overspending, financial infidelity, and financial enabling empowers individuals to overcome harmful financial habits and improve basic money management practices such as paying bills on time and saving. The distinction between problematic money issues and money disorders, as well as overspending and compulsive buying, is clarified. The study uses empirical testing on problematic money behaviors and their association with fundamental money management practices to inform the development of comprehensive financial training and counseling …

Health Rocks!: An 11-Year Evaluation, Dan Wang, Yan Xia, Maria Rosario De Guzman, Jeong-Kyun Choi, Yunqi Wang, Zhenqiao Yang

Journal of Extension

This study examined the program effectiveness of Health Rocks!, a youth substance use prevention program. Merging data from 128,544 youth participants in 21 states between 2009 and 2021, this study compared self-reported levels of knowledge, skills, and internal and external assets before and after the program. Youth reported significant increases in substance use knowledge, stress-coping skills, and assets to make healthy life decisions across eleven years. The magnitude of effects varied by individual characteristics, including gender, school grade level, race, ethnicity, and residence. We provide recommendations for the evaluation of substance use prevention program effectiveness.

A Qualitative Description Of Graduate Students’ Perceived Decline In Physical Activity From Undergraduate School, Kristin M. Jett, Bryce T. Daniels, Max Brigance, Jessica L. Passarelli, Erin Howie

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(5): 1038-1055, 2024. Many university students, especially graduate students, are experiencing poor physical and psychological health. Thus, universities are initiating programs like Exercise is Medicine-On Campus (EIM-OC) to promote positive physical activity behavior to improve physical and mental health for primarily undergraduate university students. However, the influences on physical activity when transitioning from an undergraduate to a graduate student are unknown. To explore perceptions of if and how the physical activity levels of graduate students changed from their time as undergraduate students while considering environmental and lifestyle factors. METHODS: Using a qualitative, phenomenological research design, …

Investigating The Effects Of Visual Feedback On Muscle Activity, Heart Rate, Rpe, And Perceptions Of Performance In Ballet Dancers, Lilah A. Duboff, Sarah Dipasquale, Stephen Ives

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(1): 1056-1067, 2024. Extreme postures and imbalances in neuromuscular activity may place classical ballet dancers at higher risk of injury. Dance studio mirrors provide visual feedback by which a dancer can self-correct their body position and alignment, but have been suggested to negatively impact kinesthetic abilities and decrease performance capabilities. Thus, we investigated the effects of a mirror on muscle activity of the quadriceps, heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and qualitative performance. A lack of visual feedback would increase muscle activity of the quadriceps, HR, and RPE, and decrease self-reported perception of …

Fantastical Philosophies: Portrayals Of Good And Evil In Tolkien And Popular Film, Olivia Crane

Mythcon

As we enjoy fiction through written and filmed media, the storytellers portray an array of philosophical perspectives through their work. An inescapable portrayal in any creation is the reality of good and evil. Some writers portray good and evil as equal and opposite forces, harmonious when reached at a balance. Others leave behind this idea with the privation theory of evil. Fantasy, involving heroes and villains, magic and mischief, is a perfect media through which to present philosophy. What, then, do fantastical works have to say about good and evil? Do they agree across the ages or refute one another? …

Current Lgbtq+ Aspects In Sf&F, David Lenander, Peg Kerr, David R. Slayton

Mythcon

This panel was inspired by several things coming together. An awareness of Eleanor Arnason’s pioneering work in including LGBTQ+ characters in her novels, such as To the Resurrection Station, and some of her Lydia Duluth stories, and particularly in Ring of Swords and the other Hwarhath Stories, where this focus is a major theme. Then, there were the increasing number of books taking up these themes on the long and short lists for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, mirroring the changes that have occurred over the past few decades, so that early in our history these themes were not generally present, …

Plant List Of Accepted Nomenclature, Taxonomy And Symbols, J S. Peterson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Plant List of Accepted Nomenclature, Taxonomy & Symbols (PLANTS) is a dynamic database providing scientific and vernacular names, distributional, growth form, origin, symbols and bibliographic standardised botanical data to US federal agencies. PLANTS encompasses the vascular plant, moss, lichen and liverwort flora of North America, north of the Mexico border, including US states and territories.

Tactical Grazing Can Help Maintain Stability Of Semi-Arid Wooded Grasslands, K C. Hodgkinson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Arid and semi-arid wooded grasslands in Australia and elsewhere are prone to soil and plant productivity decline when used for pastoral production. Typically, degradation is characterised by woody plant increase, palatable perennial grass decline, unpalatable grass increase and lowered productive capacity of the soil, New grazing management that maintains productivity of plant and soil resources and sustains rehabilitation is required. In a grazing experiment on a mulga (Acacia aneura) woodland, grazing-induced death and impaired seed productivity were observed in palatable perennial grasses. A tactical grazing management to prevent an adverse change in pasture composition and productivity was designed involving progressively …

Sustainability Of African Farming Systems With Particular Reference To Soil Fertility, Multiple Cropping Systems And Weed Ingress In Smallholder Systems In Humid Tropical Africa, Bede N. Okigbo, Elly N. Sabiti

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Africa continues to face a food and agricultural crisis, the effects of which are sometimes exacerbated by drought and civil strife. The food crisis is the result of the inability of African countries in the humid tropical areas and other zones to produce enough food to satisfy escalating demand, owing largely to rapid population growth and pressures of modernisation. Furthermore, the inability of these countries to earn adequate incomes and the lack of food security, especially in some countries suffering from drought, civil strife or war, has resulted in increasing reliance on food aid to fulfil their food import requirements. …

Genetic Improvement And Nutritive Value Of Lucerne: Crude Protein Content, P Rotili, G Gnocchi, C Scotti

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Stratigraphical analysis of a lucerne (Medicago saliva L.) stand was made to show the effect of leaf age and health, and of leaf-stem ratio, on crude protein content, These data show that when the analysis was made on stems of the same age and on leaves of the same age, health and physiological state, the variability of this trait is negligible, which makes it very difficult to breed for crude protein content. Nevertheless ii is possible to improve the protein content by selection for physiological trails such as leaf persistence and tolerance of early culling.

The Intersection Of Lgbtq+ Identity And Disability: A Need For School Based Support, Jospeh A. Hogan

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

Grounded in intersectional theory, this article explores the experience of LGBTQ+ students with disabilities. LGBTQ+ students with disabilities experience higher levels of bullying, harassment, suicidal ideation and other challenges in school. Post-school outcomes also reveal negative realities. Schools need to ensure that support is provided to students living at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and disability. Implications for school leaders, educational professionals, and educator preparation programs are discussed with recommendations for improving outcomes.

Service Dogs: A Catalyst For Post-Traumatic Growth Among Military Veterans With Ptsd, Matthew P. Knight

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

The conclusion of the war in Afghanistan in 2021 has left a significant portion of veterans grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with estimates suggesting 23% of post-9/ 11 veterans are affected. Traditional psychotherapies, while effective, often see high attrition rates due to stigma-related barriers, underscoring the need for complementary approaches that resonate with the unique psychosocial needs embedded in military veteran culture.

Historically, research on psychiatric service dogs has focused predominantly on PTSD symptom alleviation. This conceptual article introduces a novel focus on their role in promoting positive psychological change known as post-traumatic growth (PTG), a topic that has …

Vibration Analysis And Condition Monitoring For Cement Mill (Case Of Hamma Bouziane-Constantine Cement Plant), Linda Bouyaya

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

Monitoring and diagnosing damage in dynamic machinery is a growing area of interest in the cement industry. Indeed, industrial equipment is disrupted throughout its operation by malfunctions; especially in old age; which reduces their operating costs and availability. Therefore, the detection and identification of faults in industrial systems - diagnosis - is of capital importance for their operation and a major challenge for modern industry. Among the most used diagnostic techniques, we find spectral analysis, a condition-based maintenance tool, which is used to study the vibration signals of dynamic machines.

In this context, the objective of this work is the …

Health And Human Services Partners With Governors State, Office Of Marketing And Communications

Newsroom

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Southern Red-Backed Voles, Myodes Gapperi, And Peromyscus Mice In The Enzootic Maintenance Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes In North Dakota, Usa, Michael W. Dougherty, Nathan M. Russart, Robert A. Gaultney, Emily Marie Gisi, Haley M. Cooper, Lindsey R. Kallis, Catherine A. Brissette, Jefferson A. Vaughan

Biology Faculty Publications

Lyme disease has expanded into the Great Plains of the USA. To investigate local enzootic transmission, small mammals were trapped in two forested tracts in northeastern North Dakota during 2012 and 2013. Peromyscus mice and southern red-backed voles, Myodes gapperi, comprised over 90% of all mammals captured. One site was dominated by Peromyscus (79% of 100 mammals captured). At the other site, M. gapperi (59% of 107 mammals captured) was more abundant than Peromyscus (36%). Immature stages of two tick species parasitized small mammals: Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis. Larval I. scapularis ectoparasitism was significantly higher on Peromyscus (81% …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy & Postpartum Care, Paula A. Rodriguez

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The aim of this study involved researching the role of occupational therapy in the transition into motherhood. The Scale of Occupational Disruption (SOD) was used to gather data about which occupations were the most and least disrupted, as reported by the research participants. Participants were recruited to complete the SOD anonymously through RedCap and were recruited through social media platforms and mom groups. In total, 142 participants participated in the study. Of the total 142 recruited participants, 117 completed the SOD in its entirety, and their data was able to be used for this study. The participants had a mean …

Sensory Processing Assessment In Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias: A Research Capstone Experience, Clarissa Benzarti

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Educational Experiences Of Juvenile Offenders In Minnesota, Danielle Petruska

Theses and Graduate Projects

Objective of Study. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of positive adult/teacher relationships in juvenile detention educational settings in Minnesota on juvenile offenders’ perceptions of school, as well as their future plans for attending college after high school. Method. Data were obtained from the 2019 administration of the Minnesota Student Survey, involving 280 juvenile offenders (83 girls) from correctional educational facilities. Hypotheses were tested using correlational analyses to examine the relationship between perceived adult/teacher relationships and school perceptions, as well as the association between these relationships and post-high school plans. Results. Results revealed …

Organizational Leaders' Strategies To Detect And Prevent Occupational Fraud, Pamela Denise Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate strategies to detect and prevent occupational fraud may adversely affect nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit leaders are concerned about occupational fraud because it increases the risk of organizational failure. Guided by the fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore techniques some nonprofit organizational leaders used to detect and prevent occupational fraud. The participants for this study were three senior leaders in a nonprofit organization located in the central part of the U.S. state of Alabama who successfully implemented strategies for detecting and preventing occupational fraud. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of …

Enhancing Discharge Process For Home Iv Milrinone Patients With Advanced Heart Failure, Kaitlyn Bauer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: Discharge processes for patients with heart failure on home intravenous inotrope support is fraught with barriers and complexities, and causes patients, caregivers, and bedside nurses’ high levels of stress leading to potentially unsafe, complicated discharges. This project aimed to decrease discharge times and improve nurses’ ability to safely and effectively discharge patients.

Background: The project was implemented in a 42-bed advanced heart failure IMU in the Texas Medical Center, where discharge times were longer than hospital standards at over 6 hours.

Methodology: Using elements of the Transition of Care Model, a discharge checklist was created to help staff prepare …

Participatory Democracy: The Potential For Civic Transformation Understanding Participants' Learning In The Milwaukie Citizens Jury, Amanda Grace Hudson

Dissertations and Theses

Faced with unresponsive government institutions and the limitations of representative democracy, participatory and deliberative democrats have created alternative models for robust democratic participation such as civic juries, civic assemblies and participatory budgeting. Advocates claim that these methods create better citizens and better outcomes and they claim these forums act as a school of democracy. The schools of democracy theory describes participation as a virtuous circle--that doing democracy will make people more democratic. While these processes often produce enthusiastic supporters and encouraging results, there has been very little research to date that attempts to explain how and why people learn and …

Design Of A Semi-Continuous Bio-Oil Upgradation Process Using Iron/Bone-Char Catalysts, Kelli Thomas

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

• 07Bio-oil is a pyrolysis byproduct that consists of heavily oxygenated organic fractions with low caloric values. There are very few industrial-sized facilities that can process bio-oil into useful hydrocarbons comparable to petroleum products. With the increase in biochar production for remediation efforts and forest clean-up, there is a demand for portable, small-scale refineries that do not require extensive process and safety equipment to convert byproducts into usable fuels. Refining bio-oil via atmospheric hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), the removal of the oxygenated functional groups under an unpressurized hydrogenated atmosphere, results in the upgradation of the heavy hydrocarbons within the bio-oil. This process is …

Process Intensification For Carbon Sequestration By Resonant Vibratory Mixing, Amirhosein Riahi

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Due to the excessive consumption of fossil fuels, which leads to significant greenhouse gas emissions and rapid climate change, it is crucial to develop various Carbon Capture and Sequestration strategies. CO₂ sequestration in solid, porous adsorbents like low-cost biochar emerges as a promising method to achieve this goal. However, slow adsorption kinetics are one of the issues that limit the widespread use of biochar. While the characteristics of biochar are important and impact CO₂ adsorption, the conditions under which adsorption occurs are equally critical.

In this work, a novel process intensification strategy, namely Low-Frequency High Amplitude resonant vibratory …