Digital Commons Network^™

Phenomenological Qualitative Study Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Women With Terminal Degrees Related To The Gender Gap In Education Leadership Roles, Ashley Walker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the gender gap within education leadership for female teachers with terminal degrees within a Midwestern suburban school district and geographically similar educators recruited via Facebook. The theory that guided this study was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy as it explains the relationship between self-efficacy and the choice to pursue professional leadership roles. Using purposeful and snowball sampling, 10 women were selected to participate in this study. Nine women who fit the selection criteria were recruited from the XYZ school district, and one participant was recruited via Facebook. Data were collected through …

The Invisible Struggle: Exploring The Experiences Of African American Women Diagnosed With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Pcos) And Their Interactions With Healthcare Providers, Trulissa L. Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of African American women diagnosed with PCOS, focusing on their interactions with medical providers, perception of healthcare, and overall well-being. The cultural competence framework guided this study, and the patient-centered care model is a theory that operated within the broader cultural competence framework. The cultural competence framework and patient-centered care model took into consideration the systemic and individual issues that affect African American women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This study examined the difficulties African American women diagnosed with PCOS faced in healthcare, as well as their mental …

Motivating And Retaining Alabama Band Directors: A Comparison Of Rural, Suburban, And Urban Band Directors, Brandon Jay Benson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite existing challenges in rural, suburban, and urban communities, band directors face a lack of motivation due to burnout and insufficient resources. This study examines the motivational factors of forty-two Alabama band directors who teach in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Guided by a correlational research design, this mixed-method research study identifies motivational factors that still need to be explored to highlight the motivational factors that drive band directors to continue teaching in their current Alabama communities. This study explores the motivational factors of forty-two Alabama band directors based on their responses to a Likert-type survey and emailed interview questionnaire. …

Domestic Violence Survivors And Resiliency: An Investigation Of Belief In God And Faith Factors Impacting Survivors’ Ability To Leave And Thrive Post-Violence, Sherry A. Palmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose [KC1.1]of this phenomenological study is to describe the role of faith in the process of leaving an abusive relationship for IPV survivors who believe in God from MA. The theories guiding the study include the survival theory of DV created by Gondolf and Fisher (1988), which believes victims of DV as survivors who most times do desire and seek help and should not be viewed as passive victims. Further, resilience theory builds on survival theory, which will guide the inquiry regarding resiliency. Survival theory and resilience theory both view survivors of DV not as helpless victims but as …

Improving Muscle Tonus Of “Weak” Muscles In Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Series Addressing The Role And Impact Of Proprioceptive Response And Isolated Isometric Exercises, Jeffrey S. Tardiff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nonspecific chronic low back pain affects most people through-out the world at some point within their lives, negatively impacting 80%-90% of the overall population, their families, and their communities. Thus far, the outcome of most studies indicate that the best form of treatment for this specific problem is a form of resistance training exercises, core stability exercises, mobilization, manual therapy, and or proprioceptive training with no consensus on which provides the best outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore an individualized approach in treatment utilizing methods shown to improve muscle tonus or “stability” in muscles of the abdomen, …

Why Not Me: Increasing Black Male Participation In Church Leadership, Veronica Ojo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This ethnographic qualitative study aimed to understand how the volunteerism and service of young Black males between the ages of 18 and 25, who were raised in and currently attend African American Baptist churches in the State of Georgia, are influenced by Transformational Leadership behavior. During the research, volunteerism and service were defined as those who participated or were connected to church ministries within their home church. The theory guiding this study was Burns’s (1978) transformational leadership theory as it relates to the behavior behind senior pastors’, youth ministers’, and senior church leaders’ mentorship of young Black males for leadership, …

Church Hurt: A Phenomenology Of The Lived Experience Of African American Christians, Danny Streeter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of African American Christians in the Mississippi Delta who have experienced church hurt in the Black Church. The theory guiding this study was Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which consists of five levels of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. This study addressed the following research questions: How do African American Christians in the Mississippi Delta describe their experience with church hurt in the Black Church? How do African American Christians in the Mississippi Delta describe their relationship with the church after their church-hurt experience? How do …

Building Belonging: Designing A Training Program To Foster Inclusion In Children's Ministry, Amanda J. Lemieux

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The strategic problem aims to address how to train volunteer children’s ministry workers to feel more confident and well-equipped to handle children with diverse needs. Paul wrote in Romans that one should be accepting of all people just as Jesus accepted (Rom. 15:5-7). Humanity is created in the very image of God, the Creator. It is essential to recognize that everyone is created in God’s image and, therefore, deserves to be treated as such (Gen. 1:27). A healthy children’s ministry should ensure that all children are not only welcome within the classroom but also taught in a way that they …

Perceptions Of Educators Of Native American Students In Special Education And Why They Were Placed In Special Education, Megan N. Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of educators of Native American students related to the disproportionality of Native American students who are placed in special education in a school in the Southeastern U.S. The theory that guided this study was critical race theory and its relationship to the disproportionality of Native American students being placed in special education. The central research question that guided the study was: What are educators' experiences with the placement of Native American students in special education? The participants included eleven teachers of Native American students who were placed in …

Employee Commitment, Engagement, And Performance When Shifting To A Virtual Workplace, Ariyana C. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the accelerated implementation of remote work, leading to a decline in employee attitudes toward organizational commitment and productivity following the shift to a virtual workplace. This shift has resulted in high turnover rates and difficulty achieving continued success. Previous research has focused on the impact of remote work on employee productivity but lacks data showing how to improve employee attitudes toward commitment in a remote work environment. This study used a fixed design with correlational methods to determine how employee attitudes toward commitment have been affected by the shift to a remote workplace, leading to …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Influence Of Leadership Styles On Teacher Retention In Rural Schools In South Carolina, Kayla Francena Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study explored the influence of principal leadership on teacher retention in rural schools in South Carolina. Grounded in the theoretical framework of self-efficacy, the study examined how specific leadership behaviors and practices shape teachers' decisions to remain in or leave their positions. The central research question guiding this study was: How does a principal's leadership style impact teacher retention in rural areas in South Carolina? A purposeful sample of 12 certified elementary, middle, and high school teachers with at least three years of experience working in rural schools participated in the study. Data was collected through open-ended …

Play, Instruct, Lead: Investigating The Influence Observing Same-Gender Role Models Has On Leadership Development Of Collegiate Women Student-Athletes Coaching At Youth Sports Camps: A Phenomenological Study, Mercy-Nora Osei

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe how observing same-gender role models influenced the leadership development of collegiate women student-athletes (CWSA) when coaching at youth sports camps (YSC) at NCAA institution campuses in the United States. The theory that guided this study was Albert Bandura’s theory on social learning, as it explained the relationship between observational learning and the influence role modeling had on leadership development. The central question was: How does observing same-gender role models influence the leadership development of collegiate women student-athletes when coaching at youth sports camps? This study used a transcendental phenomenological design to …

The Impact Of Average Principal Diabetes Cost On Population Health Measures Within Homogeneous Demographics, Alvin Dwayne Binns

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States healthcare sector has encountered an increasing burden from diabetes health conditions and diabetes expenditures. Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, resulting in increased health mortality and morbidity. This quantitative retrospective, observational, cross-sectional cohort study identified the relationship between the average principal diabetes cost and population measures for Alabama Medicare beneficiaries living in homogeneous communities diagnosed with the principal diagnosis of diabetes. The theoretical framework guiding the study was the socio-ecological theory. Purposive sampling was applied to the secondary Mapping Medicare Disparities data population comprising 57 United States territories and 3,243 counties. Specifically, Medicare beneficiary participants diagnosed with the …

Lift Every Voice: A Qualitative Descriptive Phenomenological Study, Janet Singleton Wooten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many teacher preparation programs include coursework in special education; however, music educators often begin their careers without adequate training to effectively teach students with special needs, particularly those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Music can serve as a vital avenue for communication and belonging for students with ASD, underscoring the importance of inclusive choral education as a research focus. A review of existing literature revealed a gap in pedagogical preparation and a lack of attention to inclusive practices in secondary choral classrooms. Although specialized training could enhance educators’ understanding of how students with ASD learn and thrive, further research is …

Dance Movement For Wounded Warriors With Mental Health Diagnoses: A Phenomenology, Amelia Ann Forsmo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study will be to understand how dance movement can improve the psychological health of military veterans who are experiencing a mental health disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder. The theories guiding this study are Carl Rogers’ humanistic perspective, Schlossberg’s transition theory, and the post-traumatic growth theory. A purposive sample of 12 to 15 veterans will be selected for participation in this study. Each veteran will have different military backgrounds, various battle wounds, and unique experiences with dance movement or dance movement therapy. For this reason, these perspectives allow each participant to be prioritized and heard. …

Early-To-Rise And Mobility, Opal Livelee, Helen Grace Baldo

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Immobility in hospitalized patients presents numerous physical and physiological complications. Evidence suggests circadian variation negatively impacts various bodily functions and overall quality of life. Interventions such as waking patients during the day and keeping them active can help maintain a normal sleep-wake cycle. This early-to-rise and mobility project builds on a successful pilot in the hospital’s stroke unit that demonstrated a decrease in the length of stay (LOS) of stroke patients after three months.

Purpose: To prevent complications and improve efficiency, the project aims to increase patients’ mobility, decrease patients’ LOS, and lower the LOS index.

Methods: The Plan, …

Understanding Medication Adherence Among American Indian/Alaska Native People With Type 2 Diabetes Within A Commercial Health System, Leandra Bitterfeld

Dissertations

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults experience higher rates of type 2 diabetes and worse glycemic control than non-Hispanic White Americans. Despite the importance of medication adherence for T2DM management, there is only one study in the last 15 years examining the relationship between medication adherence and A1C among AI/ANs. Furthermore, T2DM research among AI/ANs has largely been conducted within Indian Health Service and Tribal healthcare systems, though most AI/ANs live outside of reservations, meaning many use commercial health systems. The purpose of this dissertation is twofold. We sought to first understand the experience of AI/AN people accessing T2DM in a …

Implementation And Outcomes Of A Digital Onboarding Taskforce In The Acute Care Setting, Julianna Lenoir, Alexzandra Gentsch, Akshay Krishnan, Jeffrey Ndubisi, Marissa Witmer, Kristin L. Rising, Brooke Worster, Angela M. Gerolamo

Jefferson Center for Connected Care Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Use of digital health technology can improve patient health outcomes; however, not all patients have the knowledge and skills to download a health app and access a patient portal. Providing digital onboarding support to hospitalized patients has potential to overcome some barriers to accessing needed education in the community, including both having the time and a location to receive education. To address this, our team developed the Jefferson Digital Onboarding Taskforce (JeffDOT), a group of staff and students who approach hospitalized patients and provide one-on-one teaching on how to sign up for and use a patient portal.

METHODS AND …

Vesicle-Mediated Mitochondrial Clearance Presents An Actionable Metabolic Vulnerability In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Jody Vykoukal, Yihui Chen, Mingxin Zuo, Riccardo Ballarò, Monica J Hong, Hansini Krishna, Daniela B Rodriquez-Perera, Hiroyuki Katayama, Ehsan Irajizad, Ranran Wu, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Jennifer B Dennison, Angelica M Gutierrez, Adriana Paulucci-Holthauzen, Timothy C Thompson, Leona Rusling, Yining Cai, Fu Chung Hsiao, Soyoung Park, Banu Arun, Samir Hanash, Johannes F Fahrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Selective autophagy of mitochondria is known to promote cancer cell survival and progression, including in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here, we apply an integrated multi-omics approach together with functional experimental analyses to investigate metabolic adaptations that support mitochondrial quality control in TNBC. We detail a mitochondrial quality control mechanism, complementary to mitophagy, that is enabled by a program of heightened extracellular sphingomyelin salvaging in TNBC coupled with extracellular vesicle-mediated intracellular clearance of mitochondrial damage. Targeting of this onco-metabolic pathway via repurposing of eliglustat, a selective small molecule inhibitor of glucosylceramide synthase, results in ceramide-mediated compensatory mitophagy and cancer cell death …

Accurate Imputation Of Pathway-Specific Gene Expression In Spatial Transcriptomics With Pasta, Ruoxing Li, Peng Yang, Mauro Di Pilato, Jianjun Zhang, Christopher R Flowers, Lulu Shang, Ziyi Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mapping the entire transcriptome at single-cell resolution under its natural spatial context is essential for investigating the oncogenesis and progression of diseases. The recently emerged targeted in-situ technologies retain the spatial organization of cells at high resolution, although they remain limited in the number of genes that can be simultaneously measured. To overcome this obstacle, numerous computational methods have been developed to predict unmeasured gene expression in spatial transcriptomics data by leveraging scRNA-seq data. Most of these methods focus on the expression of individual genes and usually generate highly variable predictions. In this study, we introduce PASTA (PAthway-oriented Spatial gene …

Successful Treatment Of Comorbid Sapho Syndrome And Hidradenitis Suppurativa With Upadacitinib, Deepika Narayanan, Tiffaney Tran, Valeria Duque-Clavijo, Hung Q Doan, Stephen K Tyring

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Lung Adenocarcinoma Surfaceome Remodeling With Egfr Inhibitors Uncovers Placental Alkaline Phosphatase As A Target For Combination Therapy, Yihui Chen, Rongzhang Dou, Monica J Hong, Hanwen Xu, Jody Vykoukal, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Yining Cai, Soyoung Park, Ehsan Irajizad, Fu Chung Hsiao, Jennifer B Dennison, Edwin J Ostrin, Johannes F Fahrmann, Hiroyuki Katayama, Samir M Hanash

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Treatment of lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) that exhibit activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has limited efficacy. Assessment of the impact of EGFR TKI on the LUAD surfaceome remodeling reveals potential therapeutic targets. We identify placental type alkaline phosphatase (ALPP), which has restricted expression in normal tissues, among upregulated surface proteins following EGFR TKI treatment of both TKI sensitive as well as resistant cells. EGF treatment represses ALPP expression, whereas EGFR TKIs upregulate its expression through dephosphorylation and activation of FoxO3a, a transcriptional regulator that binds to the promoter region of ALPP. The combination of …

Quantitative Profiling Of Intratumor Immune Heterogeneity Identifies Loss Of Immune Diversity As A Hallmark Of Cancer Progression, Qiqi Lu, Jiangti Luo, Chia-Hao Tung, Xiaosheng Wang, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immunological intratumor heterogeneity (ImTH) describes the variability in the types, spatial distribution, and functional states of immune cells within tumors. While evidence suggests that ImTH influences tumor progression and therapeutic response, few studies have provided a quantitative characterization of ImTH. Here, we present Scoring Immunological Intratumor Heterogeneity (ScImTH), a novel algorithm that quantifies ImTH by calculating the Shannon entropy of immune cell type proportions within the tumor microenvironment. Using bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomic datasets, we show that reduced ScImTH scores are associated with unfavorable survival outcomes, tumor progression-related molecular and phenotypic features, immunosuppressive states, and resistance to immunotherapy across …

Lord Henry Alexander Benson [Inducted 1984], American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.

Percival Flack Brundage [Inducted 1955], American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.

Shaun Fenton O'Malley [Inducted 2000], American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.

Ross Macgregor Skinner [Inducted 2000], American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.

Jay Michael Cook [Inducted 1999], American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.

Charles Arthur Bowsher [Inducted 1996], American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.

William Wager Cooper [Inducted 1995], American Accounting Association

Accounting Hall of Fame Brochures

No abstract provided.