Digital Commons Network^™

Community College Student Affairs Professionals’ Perceptions Of Their Supervisor’S Authentic Leadership: The Influence On Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment, Brent Lamar Via

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Employee retention is an ongoing challenge for higher education student affairs professionals, who account for the largest employee group across the higher education workforce. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment have previously been identified as correlated with college and university employees’ decision to stay or vacate their position. Authentic leadership, an evolving theory, has been associated with greater levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment in a variety of settings. However, there is a gap in the literature about the status of this relationship within community college student affairs work environments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship …

Adopt: An Environmentally-Friendly System For Alerting Drivers To Occluded Pedestrians Traffic, Abrar Abdulrahman Alali

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

The emergence of sensing technologies and vehicular communications has brought significant opportunities for enhancing pedestrian safety on city streets. However, existing solutions rely on costly technologies such as computer vision and trajectory prediction to detect crossing pedestrians, while they have limits in detecting pedestrians who are occluded by parked cars. Despite the presence of collaborative perception by surrounding vehicles and infrastructure, there is a notable absence of incorporating existing parked cars themselves due to their insufficiency in detecting pedestrians and communicating with other cars while they are turned off. Furthermore, accommodating pedestrians on streets has been linked to an additional …

A Microservices Approach To Electroencephalography Research In The Public Cloud, Bathsheba Farrow

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

The rich information content of the brain is embedded in electroencephalography (EEG) data that instantaneously measures its electrophysiological activity. Expansion of EEG data usage for health risk predictions and other applications requires reliable and consistent methods for extracting features from raw signals. However, the intricate nature of EEG signal data analysis is further complicated by the magnitude of variability in current research practices, including data preprocessing strategies. The heavy reliance on antiquated, stove-piped applications and pipelines also highlights a need for improved solutions that enable efficient, distributed preprocessing of large EEG data collections.

To address these challenges, we propose a …

Contemporary Caribbean-American Literature: Identity Struggle For Caribbean Diasporic Subjects In American Racial And Cultural Contexts, Samirah Munahi Almutairi

English Theses & Dissertations

This study includes six contemporary literary texts (novels and short stories) that offer exemplary representations of identification process of the Caribbean diaspora situated within American context. The texts included in this study are: Disposable People by Ezekel Alan (2012), Now Lila Knows by Elizabeth Nunez (2022), Brother, I’M Dying by Edwidge Danticat (2007), “Cheap, Fast, Filling” in Ayiti by Roxane Gay (2011), Dominicana by Angie Cruz (2019), and “Light-Skinned Girls and Kelly Rowlands” in How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs (2018). By studying representations of identity formation throughout the Caribbean-American literature, a postcolonial analysis integrated with cultural studies …

Navigating Foreign Language Anxiety In Saudi Classrooms: Examining Classroom Environment, Teacher Strategies, And Learner Perspectives, Amal Obaid Alnefaie

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates foreign language anxiety (FLA) in the context of Saudi Arabian classrooms, focusing on perceptions from both teachers and students. The research aims to identify factors influencing FLA, examine classroom environments, and offer insights to enhance foreign language teaching and learning in Saudi Arabia. Using a survey-based approach, data were collected through Likert-type scales and open-ended questions to explore FLA across various dimensions.

Section 1 analyzed Likert-scale responses, revealing diverse levels of FLA among participants, with students often expressing neutral to disagreeing attitudes towards statements reflecting anxiety about language learning and classroom participation. Section 2 explored sociocultural factors …

The Shared Experiences Of Novice, Full-Time Allied Dental Community College Educators, Misty L. Mesimer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

A well-prepared oral healthcare workforce is essential to the overall health of the general population. A knowledgeable and qualified workforce would be non-existent without strong academic programs and faculty to prepare oral health professionals. For over 20 years, the dental and allied dental educator workforce has been a concern for the oral health professions. Since most allied dental education programs are based in community and technical colleges, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the transition experiences of faculty teaching at these institutions. It is only through application and use of this knowledge that these faculty can be recruited, supported, and …

Medical Practice As Rhetorical Art Functional Medicine’S Therapeutic Partnership, Cristina Elena De León-Menjivar

English Theses & Dissertations

The current rates of provider burnout are at an all-time high, and our healthcare system is currently seeing numerous providers leave the system. The U.S. Surgeon General has deemed burnout rates at crisis levels, creating an exigency for research and work to help ameliorate this issue. One main issue at the heart of provider burnout is the idea of meaning and purpose in one’s professional life, and Functional Medicine methodology argues that it provides the means by which it can mitigate burnout while improving professional fulfillment and joy through deeper connections with patients. Their methodology is rooted in a concept …

Effects Of Ordered Eating On Various Postprandial Measures, Brian K. Ferguson

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Postprandial glucose (PPG) is an indicator of acute and chronic overall health, and aberrations in glucose, insulin, and other postprandial (PP) markers are common in obesity and cardiometabolic disorders. Chronically elevated glucose can lead to a number of health problems such as type 2 diabetes mellitus. Additionally, PPG responses can impact substrate utilization responses to exercise, which may have implications for both healthy and diseased populations. One potentially simple lifestyle modification to alter PPG and related markers is to change the order in which foods are consumed within meals. The purpose of this dissertation was to further explore the impact …

Examining The Physical Activity Experiences Of Blind And Visually Impaired Women, Lindsay E. Ball

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Substantial research has indicated that blind and visually impaired adults often do not meet physical activity guidelines, and therefore, are not experiencing the numerous affordances of physical activity participation. However, those who report meeting physical activity guidelines express higher rates of health-related quality of life. Largely, the research examining the physical activity behaviors and perspectives of blind and visually impaired adults have been survey studies leaving a rich description of their physical activity experiences unexplored. The overall aim of this project was to engage with blind or visually impaired women to understand their experiences accessing and participating in physical activity, …

Associations Between Combat Exposure, Moral Injury, And Suicidality Among U.S. Military Members: The Moderating Impact Of Positive Rumination, Jeffrey M. Gabelmann

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Numerous studies have documented the risk for suicide among recent-era veterans with combat experience. Recently, moral injury has emerged as a possible contributor to suicidality in veterans. To that end, no study has approached the combat exposure-moral injury-suicidality link with a focus grounded in positive psychology. Specifically, the present study explored whether positive rumination, or the reflection on positive emotions and moods, may buffer the deleterious effects of potentially traumatic experiences in warzones on moral injury and suicidality. This study was a secondary analysis of 250 current or former U.S. military members (M_age = 33.3 years) who had …

An Examination Of The Perceptions Of Campus Safety Among Full-Time Faculty At Virginia Community Colleges, Hailey Ann Hermosa

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The view that colleges are generally safe has been challenged by threats of violence on campuses across the country, causing fear among stakeholders. Community college faculty are not immune to crime-related fear on campus; however, the research has largely ignored this population. This research serves to fill that gap.

The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine perceptions of campus safety among full-time faculty at Virginia community colleges. An electronic Likert-type scale survey was disseminated to a sample of 472 full-time faculty throughout seven Virginia community colleges of varying sizes. Of those, 135 (28.7%) voluntarily participated in the …

Streaminghub - A Realtime Biosignal Processing Framework For Lab Scale Experimentation, Yasith Jayawardana

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

In human subjects research, biosignals such as eye movements, heart rate, and brain activity, are often collected and analyzed to find patterns with tangible real-world implications. Modern advancements in technology have sparked interest towards analyzing biosignals in realtime. When developing such algorithms, one may expect to find free, open-source tools that provide easy access to live, recorded, and simulated data streams. Yet, biosignal interfaces are often vendor-specific, making cross-vendor biosignal streaming non-trivial. Likewise, reading biosignal datasets is also non-trivial, as their content may be arranged quite differently.

To combat this divide, we provide the scientific community with a realtime biosignal …

A Kinematic Analysis Of The Shoulder During The Volleyball Attack Using Euler And Helical Axis Methods, Victoria Jolliff

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The shoulder is a complex joint with a wide range of motion, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and internal and external rotation. In volleyball, repetitive overhand movements can cause shoulder overuse injuries. The primary offensive move, the attack, involves the approach, arm cocking, arm acceleration, and follow-through phases. Motion capture analysis and techniques like calculating Euler angles and rotation about a mean helical axis can evaluate shoulder movements. This study aimed to calculate shoulder movements during each phase of the volleyball attack using the Euler angle YXY sequence and the helical axis method. Different attack types, such as cross-court and …

A Review Of Secondary Technology Education Teacher Needs In Virginia, M. Kathleen Ferguson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Technology education teachers can have varied pre-service training experiences, thus their needs for classroom support may vary greatly. Perkins V requires evidence-based research to justify the use of funding for professional development. This researcher sought to support Virginia’s secondary technology education teachers, professional organizations, and the Virginia Department of Education’s Technology Education Specialist by providing research to determine professional development needs. This three-phase qualitative study used a survey, documents review, and focus groups to triangulate data to provide information about the research questions. The research questions focused on teachers’ educational background, technology program goals, and issues specific to secondary technology …

Crisis In The Coalfields: State/Corporate Violence, Historical Trauma, & Concentrated Substance Misuse And Harm, Brooke Baker

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

What we frame as "the problem" in our society shapes our responses, which also shapes how and where we spend our resources. The prevailing narratives surrounding drug issues in rural coalfields, West Virginia, the Appalachian region, and arguably throughout the U.S. often mischaracterize the problem. This research explored the relationship between state/corporate violence, historical trauma, and concentrated substance misuse and harm in the rural, central Appalachian coalfields. This study employs a trauma-informed, critical ethnographic approach by utilizing participant observation and photo-elicitation interviewing to collect the data, and a critical qualitative framework to analyze it. The main findings of this research …

The Ecological Applications Of Δ17O: Validating A Novel Technique For Assessing Animal Metabolism And Water Intake, Zachary Taylor Steele

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Animals obtain water via different processes such as drinking, consuming food, and through metabolic processes like at the end of the electron transport chain when atmospheric oxygen is combined with hydrogen to form ‘cytochrome oxidase water’. Assessing animal water flux and metabolism has mainly been conducted via stable isotope analysis (SIA) of biological samples using hydrogen (²H) and oxygen isotopes (¹⁶O, ¹⁷O, and ¹⁸O; Δ¹⁷O), typically using enriched isotope tracers. However, natural abundance isotope modeling offers an approach for conducting SIA of biological samples that differs because it relies on the unique, …

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letter - July 2024, The George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Library Liaison Letters

No abstract provided.

Pharmacy Matters - July 2024, Umiversity Of Mississippi School Of Pharmacy

Pharmacy Matters Newsletters

Featured stories: "School of Pharmacy Lands Prestigious NIH Grant for University Graduate Students", "Faculty Members Honored at Annual Retreat", "Pharmacy Students, Faculty Give Back in Dominican Republic", "Pharmacy Professor Named UM's Top Online Instructor of the Year", "Researchers Urge Intervention to Save Coast's Oyster Reefs", "1908 Society: Wilbanks Family Lends Support to Students".

A Process Evaluation Of Utah’S Food Security Council, Palak Gupta, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah’s Food Security Council (FSC) brings together diverse stakeholders to address food security across the state. As FSC concluded its inaugural year of work, a process evaluation assessed its progress. Findings will inform FSC’s future strategic improvements, partnerships, and community outreach activities.

A National Perspective Of Mental Health Awareness Among Agricultural Workers, Anna Gilliam, Ethan Gilliam

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

The knowledge and perceptions of mental health resources for agricultural workers were explored at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) National Conference. Data were gathered via a voluntary survey conducted at the event. With 137 completed surveys, the study revealed that the participants desired more information regarding agricultural mental health resources and revealed their preferences for receiving this information. These findings will lead USU Extension to create impactful educational resources to better address mental health awareness and education needs in agricultural workers.

The Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Portrayal In News Media, Megan K. Mcarthur, Monica V. Ogra

Student Publications

The Colorado gray wolf (Canis lupus) reintroduction began in December 2023 in the hope of restoring this once native population to the area, and it has received mixed responses from the media. By answering the research question of 'How has the wolf reintroduction in Colorado been framed in news media?', this research poster looks at the portrayal of the reintroduction in news articles from six months before and after the first wolves were released. Media is an influential factor in people's opinions and it is important to be aware of the information being shared and any bias within them.

Characterization And Evaluation Of Bacteriophages Φpa-C And Φpa-Tc Infecting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Joanne Harrison

Master's Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa are prevalent opportunistic bacterial pathogens that cause nosocomial infections in at-risk individuals. The rise of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa poses an immense threat to hospitals. Additionally, P. aeruginosa are common food spoilage organisms that contribute to food waste. Alternative effective treatment methods are needed to improve public health and reduce food waste. Recent studies have shown that bacteriophages, viruses that only kill host-specific bacteria, are promising alternatives. This study characterizes two lytic P. aeruginosa phages, ΦPa-C and ΦPa-Tc, and evaluates their efficacy against P. aeruginosa in two model food systems. The morphology, genome, structural proteins, host range, growth kinetics, …

Association Of Hiv Status And Other Minoritized Identities With Psychiatric Diagnoses Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals In The All Of Us Research Program, Fanghui Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people, whose gender identities or expressions differ from the sex assigned at birth, are disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes, including various psychiatric diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, stress, and substance use disorders. The Gender Minority Stress Model emphasizes that TGD people face both proximal stressors at a personal/individual level (e.g., internalized stigma) and distal stressors at a societal level (e.g., discrimination) due to their minority status, which largely contributes to their increased risk of psychiatric diagnoses. Despite these health disparities, there is a paucity of gender identity data collected in large population-based health …

Book Review: The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way To Chronic Health, Michele Hoffnung, Emily Stier Adler

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Communicating About A Nicotine Reduction Policy Among People Who Use Little Cigars And Cigarillos, Charity Afi Ntansah

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed rulemaking to reduce the nicotine content in cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products to non-addictive levels. A very low nicotine content (VLNC) policy aimed primarily at cigarettes could drive people to other combusted products like little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), potentially undermining its effectiveness. Expanding the policy to include LCCs requires effective messages for people who use LCCs. This dissertation explores how to communicate the reduced nicotine policy to people who use LCCs. The research recruited four populations with the highest prevalence of cigar use: African American and White males and …

Social Media Use And Interactivity: An Application Of Uses And Gratifications, Patrick Bush

Theses and Dissertations

Accessing news media and the coverage of current events has become streamlined and exponentially easier to access due to the explosive growth of internet usage and by extent the increase of social media usage. As this form of media continues to evolve and becomes not only more accessible, but accepted by a variety of audiences, some parties may seek to find or create their own public spheres of influence online to share information and develop conversations relevant to the participants therein. It is here where the concept of digital storytelling becomes a heavy influence on how the individual not only …

Resting State Electroencephalographic Brain Activity In Neonates Can Predict Age And Is Indicative Of Neurodevelopmental Outcome, Amir Ansari, Kirubin Pillay, Emad Arasteh, Anneleen Dereymaeker, Gabriela Schmidt Mellado, Katrien Jansen, Anderson M. Winkler, Gunnar Naulaers, Aomesh Bhatt, Sabine Van Huffel

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: Electroencephalography (EEG) can be used to estimate neonates' biological brain age. Discrepancies between postmenstrual age and brain age, termed the brain age gap, can potentially quantify maturational deviation. Existing brain age EEG models are not well suited to clinical cot-side use for estimating neonates' brain age gap due to their dependency on relatively large data and pre-processing requirements.

Methods: We trained a deep learning model on resting state EEG data from preterm neonates with normal neurodevelopmental Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID) outcomes, using substantially reduced data requirements. We subsequently tested this model in two independent datasets …

Research Challenges In Combating Terrorist Use Of Explosives In The United States 2024, Austin C. Doctor, Samuel T. Hunter, Gina Scott Ligon, Gary Wes Carter, Dan Polanski, Jimmie Oxley

Reports, Projects, and Research

As expressed in the original 2008 report, Research Challenges in Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are generally easy to develop, difficult to combat, and cause disproportionate physical and psychological harm to the citizenry. Research, development, test, and evaluation options to assist domestic counter-IED efforts are plentiful, easily overwhelming the ability of government and industry to fund. This updated report outlines 10 challenge areas where concentrated research can be most beneficial when combating IED use in the homeland and is a summation of interagency efforts to analyze operational capabilities and gaps, as well …

A Directory Of Threat Assessment Models, Amber Seaward, Zoe Marchment, Paul Gill

Reports, Projects, and Research

• Threat assessment is a process of identifying, assessing, and managing threats of targeted violence prompted by warning behaviors.
• Threat assessment is an evolving field with no singular guidebook that can cover the range of settings to which it is applied.
• Therefore, there are many different practical models of threat assessment implementation.
• This directory reviews how threat assessment is practically implemented in various settings, by systematically reviewing case study literature that describes the structure and operations of existing threat assessment teams and models.
• The directory compiles information on 27 threat assessment models which cover a range of harms within educational settings …

Screening For Insider Threats In Us Law Enforcement: A National Sample Of Department Policies And Practices State Of Practice Guide, Erin M. Kearns, Sadaf Hashimi, Jessica Huff, Justin Nix, Natalie Cotton

Reports, Projects, and Research

For decades, violent extremist groups in the U.S. have encouraged their members to infiltrate law enforcement agencies. While there are anecdotal examples of insider threats in law enforcement, we do not have a systematic understanding of whether these are isolated incidents or indicative of a more pervasive issue. To address this gap, the current project took a multi-method approach to examining department-level policies and procedures around screening and hiring.

The State of Practice Report is the major deliverable from this grant focused on multi-pronged formative research on insider threats in U.S. law enforcement. Broadly, we were interested in the extent …