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Demographic Impact And Diagnostic Evaluation Of Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae In Bighorn Sheep Of The Pine Ridge Badlands, Jeffrey Tillery

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi) decimates bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations through acute die-offs followed by years or decades of failed lamb recruitment. Test-and-remove management has emerged as the primary intervention to restore population growth, and this thesis quantifies the demographic costs of endemic M. ovi infection and evaluates the diagnostic tools upon which this strategy depends. I quantified vital rates across five bighorn sheep subherds (four infected, one uninfected) on the Pine Ridge Reservation (2023–2025), supplemented by pre-outbreak data (2017–2018) from the North Unit of Badlands National Park. Infected subherds declined (λ = 0.965, 95% CrI: 0.813–1.039) while the uninfected …

Plant-Insect Interactions In Great Plains Restoration And Invasion Ecology, Joseph H. Cammarano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prairie ecosystem loss and invasive plant species are major ecological problems in the Great Plains. Plant-insect interactions have important consequences for both the restoration of prairie ecosystems and management of invasive plant species. Pollinating insects are vital to the sustainability of prairie ecosystems, and herbivorous insects can provide biological control of invasive plant species. Understanding how restoration strategies may influence potential pollinator communities can have important consequences for restoration sustainability and success and understanding how biological control strategies may help manage invasive plant populations can also help land managers reach restoration and conservation goals. In Ch. 2, I sought to …

Effect Of Female Employment On Household Expenditure In Bangladesh, Fatema Binte Sharif

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Female labor force participation (FLFP) in Bangladesh has increased from 29.2% in 2005–06 to 42.8% in 2022, raising important questions about household resource allocation. This study examines the impact of female employment on household expenditure patterns and challenges the traditional unitary model of decision-making. It focuses on how income controlled by women influences spending across essential and non-essential categories. The analysis uses data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. This research employs Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SURE) approach to estimate budget shares for food, housing, health, education, clothing, and transport. The study …

Conocimiento, Formación Y Autoeficacia De Los Docentes Regulares En El Manejo De La Autorregulación Emocional De Estudiantes Con Trastorno Del Espectro Autista, Yalinette Negrín Carrión

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de esta investigación fue analizar el nivel de conocimiento, la formación profesional y la autoeficacia de los docentes regulares de la escuela elemental, así como examinar las relaciones existentes entre estos factores y la implementación de estrategias de intervención educativa orientadas a la autorregulación emocional en estudiantes con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA). El presente estudio adoptó un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño no experimental, de tipo transeccional descriptivo-correlacional. Este diseño permitió describir las características de los fenómenos educativos y analizar las relaciones existentes entre variables sin manipularlas. Las variables del estudio fueron el conocimiento docente sobre el …

Exploring The Benefits Of Virtual Learning Environments For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kenton Louis-Jean

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological applied dissertation explored the lived experiences of K–5 teachers who worked with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in virtual learning environments. As virtual instruction became increasingly prevalent in K–12 education, limited research had examined how teachers adapted instructional practices to meet the cognitive, sensory, and engagement needs of students with ASD in online settings. This study addressed that gap by examining educators' firsthand perspectives on implementing virtual instruction for students with ASD.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight K–5 teachers who had experience teaching students with ASD in virtual or hybrid learning environments. Participants …

The Lived Experiences Of Hispanic Women In The Workforce: The Journey To Leadership And Leadership Styles, Ileana Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Hispanic women in leadership positions within the United States workforce. Grounded in Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study examined how Hispanic women interpreted the challenges and opportunities associated with their intersecting identities as both Hispanic and female leaders. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight Hispanic women currently serving in leadership roles across diverse industries.

Findings revealed that participants encountered persistent systemic barriers, including underrepresentation, intersectional discrimination, limited access to mentorship and leadership networks, and pressures to conform to dominant workplace norms through code-switching. These challenges were cumulative and embedded within …

Conocimientos Sobre La Transición Postsecundaria De Estudiantes Del Programa De Educación Especial De Undécimo A Duodécimo Grado En Una Escuela Secundaria Pública En Puerto Rico, Nancy L. Ortiz Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio fue determinar el nivel de conocimiento que poseían los estudiantes del Programa de Educación Especial sobre el proceso de transición postsecundaria. La investigación se desarrolló mediante un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño descriptivo, considerando la transición como una etapa determinante en la vida académica y personal de los estudiantes con discapacidades, por su influencia en la preparación para la educación universitaria, la inserción laboral y el desarrollo de la vida independiente.

El estudio se llevó a cabo en una escuela secundaria pública de Puerto Rico e incluyó una muestra de 21 estudiantes del Programa de …

Teacher Perceptions Of Social-Emotional And Behavioral Factors That Impede Preschool Adjustment, Allease J. Glamore

Theses and Dissertations

Children with behavioral and social-emotional challenges struggle to adjust to the preschool environment which places increased demands on preschool teachers to implement effective strategies. The purpose of the study was to assess teachers’ perceptions regarding social-emotional and behavioral factors implicated for successful preschool adjustment. The theoretical framework guiding this study is grounded in the integration of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, social-emotional learning theory, and behavior theory. A case study design was used to examine the perceptions and use of social-emotional and behavior interventions and supports by four early childhood teachers across two programs.

Data were collected using qualitative in-depth one-on-one …

Mixed-Methods Study Of High School Teachers’ Perceived Training, Self-Efficacy, And Assessment Competencies In Online Courses, Chantell Radford

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study was that, in a large urban school district in South Florida, the online high school teachers’ training, self-efficacy, and assessment competencies in courses required enhancement. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of high school teachers on their training, self-efficacy, and assessment competency in online courses.

Twenty high school online teachers participated in the study. Recruitment occurred through a link posted on Facebook and LinkedIn. The design (sequential explanatory mixed-methods design) aligned with the five research questions. Two instruments (survey and questionnaire) were used to collect data. Quantitative data analyis occurred with …

Beyond The Classroom: Examining The Relationship Between Student Engagement, Academic Motivation, And Retention, Jeanine Marie Dinardo

Theses and Dissertations

Student retention rates at community colleges have remained low across the United States in recent years. Student engagement is important because it increases motivation and improves academic performance and retention. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships between student engagement, academic motivation, academic performance, and retention among students at a small community college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The study was guided by self-determination theory. The sample consisted of 80 community college students. Data were collected through a questionnaire given to participants through their college email. The data were collected using SurveyMonkey and …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Decline In Reading Scores Among Fourth- And Fifth-Grade Students, Brigetta Foules-Sims

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of the factors contributing to the decline in reading achievement among fourth- and fifth-grade students in a rural elementary school in a southern state. The study explored teachers’ perceptions of the causes of declining reading performance, the instructional challenges they encounter when addressing reading difficulties, and the resources and supports they believe are necessary to improve student outcomes.

Data were collected through semi structured interviews with eight certified fourth- and fifth-grade teachers. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) increasing academic demands reveal foundational reading gaps, (b) …

Embarazo Prematuro Y Abandono Escolar En Jóvenes Inmigrantes Hispanas: Estudio De Caso En Una Academia De Educación En Español, Danays Carbonell Dieguez

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación aplicada tuvo como propósito explorar las experiencias de jóvenes inmigrantes hispanas que abandonaron sus estudios debido a embarazos prematuros mientras participaban en el programa Success Management Academy (SMA), una academia de educación en español ubicada en el contexto de Miami-Dade County Public Schools. El estudio se desarrolló desde un enfoque cualitativo mediante un diseño de estudio de caso, con el fin de comprender los factores personales, familiares, educativos, socioeconómicos y culturales que influyeron en la interrupción de sus trayectorias escolares.

La investigación incluyó cinco jóvenes inmigrantes hispanas provenientes de Centroamérica que estuvieron vinculadas al programa SMA y experimentaron …

Fairness: Examining Support And Resources Available To Respondents In Title Ix Cases, Emanuel Jerome Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored how higher education institutions develop Title IX procedures to ensure respondents receive fair treatment from the outset of the adjudication process. It also examined how colleges and universities provide resources and support to respondents throughout the Title IX process. The study used semi structured interviews with Title IX Coordinators at various higher education institutions to understand how they have developed practices to support respondents.

Findings revealed that higher education institutions have developed various methods to support respondents in the Title IX process. The goal of the Title IX process is to ensure that respondents receive the …

Human Resources Professionals’ Perceptions About Employment And Retention Of Women With A Substance Abuse History: A Qualitative Study, Mary Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This study was an exploration of human resources professionals’ (HRP) perceptions about employment and retention of women with a substance abuse disorder history. Job embeddedness was used as a critical lens to understand HRPs’ motivations for their actions and to gain insight into their choices.

A generic qualitative methodology was used to understand the complexity of HRPs’ experiences in employing and retaining women with substance use disorder history. The data-collection method consisted of semi structured interviews of 10 HRPs from midsize organizations in the Southeast Florida region.

The results of the thematic analysis revealed 10 themes that addressed the research …

Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges In Multicultural Hospitality Teams: A Case Study Of The Arlington Hotel, Dublin, Lorrana Rosendo Da Silva

Business ETD Collections

This study investigates intercultural communication challenges within multicultural teams in the hospitality sector in Dublin, focusing on how linguistic barriers, cultural expectations and the dynamics of subgroups influence staff collaboration and day-to-day coordination. The research employs a qualitative case study at the Arlington Hotel, utilizing four semi-structured interviews—two with managers and two with employees—analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that, particularly during periods of high operational pressure, differences in English proficiency and understanding of accents can affect the clarity of instructions and the confidence to seek clarification. Furthermore, subgroups based on language or nationalities were described as useful in …

Analysis Of Employee Retention In The Irish Hospitality Sector, Ali Okan Yazicioglu

Business ETD Collections

This study investigates the organisational and external labour market factors influencing employee retention in the Irish hospitality sector. The sector faces persistently high turnover rates, yet existing literature has largely focused on internal factors such as leadership and working conditions, overlooking broader labour market dynamics. To address this gap, a qualitative research design was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with six participants (three managers and three kitchen staff) working in hospitality establishments in Dublin’s Temple Bar area. Thematic analysis was applied to identify key themes related to working conditions, management practices, job satisfaction, employee retention, and labour market factors. The findings …

Key Factors Influencing Consumer Booking Decisions On Booking.Com, And The Role Of Trust In Online Reviews, Deisiane Soares

Business ETD Collections

This study examines the factors influencing accommodation booking decisions on Booking.com, with a particular focus on the role of trust in online reviews. Using a quantitative survey, the research analyses how consumers evaluate key factors such as price, location, ratings, and user-generated reviews. The findings show that while online reviews help reduce uncertainty and build trust, they are not the main driver of booking decisions. Instead, price and location are the most influential factors, with trust in reviews acting as a supporting element. Trust is also found to be conditional, depending on review consistency, detail, and recency. Hence, the study …

Exploring The Challenges Faced By Home Care Workers In Dublin, Camila Melo Dos Santos

Business ETD Collections

This study explores the challenges faced by home care workers employed by private healthcare providers in Dublin, and how the workers perceive the training and organisational support available to manage job demands. Using a mixed methods approach, quantitative data was collected through a survey that received 24 responses, and qualitative data from four in depth interviews. The findings identify time pressure as the most significant challenge, and discovered that formal training is available but it is not considered relevant by the workers, who rely on their experience to deliver the service. Organisational support was perceived as inconsistent, with lack of …

Member Engagement And Retention Challenges In The Latin Cycling Club Dublin, Sarideth Ailin Solis Lopez

Business ETD Collections

This study investigates participant engagement and retention challenges at Latin Cycling Club Dublin, a volunteer-run, non-profit community cycling group based in Dublin, Ireland. The group brings together Spanish-speaking people and others interested in Latin culture who ride together for hobby, social connection, and health improvement. Despite having 259 Instagram followers, 125 Strava participants, and 112 WhatsApp group members, only 8 to 12 people join rides on a regular basis, representing a drop-off of approximately 90 to 93%. The same small core group attends most rides, while the majority of followers remain inactive. Female participation is below 10%, and non-Spanish speakers …

Adapting International Marketing Strategies To Local Markets: A Case Study Of Zambrero In Ireland, Júlia Megale Freitas Pimenta

Business ETD Collections

As companies expand into increasingly globalised markets, they face the strategic challenge of balancing global standardisation with responsiveness to local market needs. This study examines how the balance between standardisation and local adaptation influences customer perception in the international fast-casual food sector. While standardisation can provide economies of scale, operational efficiency, and consistency in global brand identity, adaptation allows companies to respond to differences in consumer preferences, cultural expectations, and competitive conditions. Drawing on international marketing and branding literature, the study considers how these strategies influence perceptions of brand identity, authenticity, value, and customer loyalty across different national markets. Particular …

“I Don’T Always See A Future For Me Here”: Oppressive Political Pressures On Lgbtq+ College Students’ Well-Being, Jodi Linley, Olivia M. Copeland, Kathleen J. Buell, Cindy Ann Kilgo, Megan Pendleton, Alex C. Lange, N F. Tennessen

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In recent decades, colleges have broadly supported LGBTQ+ students. Now, institutions have shuttered LGBTQ+ initiatives in response to political pressures, with little consideration for the effects on students. This study answers the question, what current policy factors do LGBTQ+ college students describe as affecting their well-being, and in what ways? We analyzed 426 responses from a multi-institution study of LGBTQ+ students. By and large, students feel anxious and fearful as they navigate the current climate. Our analysis illustrated numerous factors, from the President and his administration to states and general emboldened violence, and the real and potential consequences of those …

The Law Of Quitting, Andrew K. Jennings

Faculty Articles

Throughout life, people enter countless positions of authority and trust in relation to one another and the public. These positions include, among many others, being a public official, being a corporate director, and being an employee. Law announces prerequisites for starting such positions, as well as incumbents’ rights and obligations once in them. But no office holds forever. Indeed, incumbents often choose to exit positions before they would otherwise end by expiration, removal, or death. Yet law governs such voluntary relinquishment—often called “resignation” or, more generically, “quitting”—largely as afterthought. That is, law expansively attends how positions of authority and trust …

Training Set Augmentation And Biology-Aware Harmonization Improve Radiomic Models For Lung Cancer Prediction In Indeterminate Nodules, Claire Huchthausen, Menglin Shi, Gabriel De Sousa, James Larner, Einsley Janowski, Jonathan Colen, Krishni Wijesooriya

Data Science Faculty Publications

CT radiomics-based machine learning has potential to predict lung cancer in pulmonary nodules (PNs) earlier than standard-of-care methods. Low malignancy rates in early-development PNs and variable image acquisition hinder development of radiomic models for diagnosing these PNs. To address these challenges, we augmented training using later-development PNs and harmonized for acquisition effects. We examine early-development benign and malignant PNs (n = 106) below the sensitivity of standard-of-care diagnosis. Classifiers predicting malignancy performed near chance when trained on ComBat-harmonized radiomic features from only early-development PNs. We then augmented training with later-development benign and malignant PNs (n = 225). We evaluated whether …

Fda After Loper Bright, Erika Lietzan

SMU Law Review

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which overruled the Chevron, U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council decision from 1984, tells us that a court should determine the meaning of all statutory provisions for itself, rather than deferring to the views of the federal agencies that implement those provisions. But the overruling of Chevron may have less of an impact on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) than conventional wisdom supposes. Most challenges to FDA action do not concern its statutory interpretations. And the agency prevailed in most cases involving statutory interpretation before the Chevron doctrine took hold. After 1984, …

The Effects Of A Teacher-Led Coaching Intervention On Paraprofessionals’ Rates Of Behavior-Specific Praise In Secondary Special Education Classrooms, Melanie Urmilla Singh

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The role of paraprofessionals in education is essential as they work alongside teachers to provide additional support to students within classrooms. Their responsibilities may differ based on the needs of the school, classroom, and student, paraprofessionals often play an important role in supporting students’ behavioral needs. While their roles being prevalent in education, paraprofessionals could benefit from additional training in evidence-based strategies, specifically when working with students with behavioral needs and the application of behavior-specific praise. Considering that teachers typically receive more formal training and work closely with paraprofessionals in the classroom, they are well positioned to provide training support …

Social Drivers Of Healthcare Access In Pediatric Autoimmune Disease: A U.S. Analysis (2022–2023), Kevin Okifo

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: Prior studies in adults have demonstrated that social drivers of health contribute to disparities in disease burden, management, and healthcare access among individuals with autoimmune disease (AD). There is emerging pediatric evidence suggesting similar patterns, but national-level data describing how social and structural factors shape healthcare access for children with AD remain limited. The aim of this study is to identify the sociodemographic and structural factors associated with healthcare access among children and adolescents with AD in the United States. Understanding these factors can support meaningful advances that will optimize patient-centered care and wraparound services for pediatric AD.Study Design: …

Health Communication Challenges In The Digital Era: Two Empirical Investigations, Neeraj Gautam Patel

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Background: The quality and availability of health information consumed by the general public have undergone dramatic changes in the 21st century with the rise of digitization and the internet. These include the growth of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs on television and online media, changes in health content on traditional news media platforms, and the propagation of health misinformation and disinformation on social media and other websites. Understanding the nature and sources of these changes can inform efforts and interventions aimed at improving the general public’s understanding of health information. One area of interest within regulated health communication is …

Adequate Representation In Group Litigation, Elizabeth Chamblee Burch

Scholarly Works

This article examines the inherent tension between the legal system's desire for "global peace" (finality) and the constitutional requirement for adequate representation in collective lawsuits. While Rule 23 class actions provide structural safeguards—such as judicial oversight of counsel and settlement, and opt-out rights—alternative mechanisms like multidistrict litigation (MDL) and parens patriae suits often lack these protections . Using the In re National Prescription Opiate Litigation as a primary case study, the article illustrates how informal, "backroom" leadership selection in MDLs empowers a small circle of elite "repeat players" at the expense of marginalized groups, such as Native American tribes and …

Taxing Ai, Assaf Harpaz

Scholarly Works

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the distribution and sources of income, with some experts predicting widespread job displacement. Even under optimistic projections, AI is expected to exacerbate wealth inequality, given that the technology’s ownership and immense value are concentrated within a subset of Big Tech companies and AI startups. These outcomes will have far-reaching impacts on the federal tax system, which heavily relies on taxing individual labor income and payroll, rather than capital or consumption.

This Article argues that AI threatens to disrupt the tax system’s ability to fulfill its fundamental goals of raising revenue, redistributing income, and …

From Privacy To The Data Economy: The Ftc’S Reframing Of Its Regulatory Priorities, Maria P. Angel

Scholarly Works

This Article argues that the Federal Trade Commission’s turn to “commercial surveillance” reflects a strategic shift away from traditional privacy frameworks toward addressing structural power dynamics in the data economy. Drawing on an analysis of 112 FTC documents, it identifies three core commitments: tackling systemic harms, adopting a political economy lens, and constraining corporate power. The Article contends that this reframing is both necessary in the AI age and should influence the future of privacy regulation in the United States, even amid efforts to limit the FTC’s authority.