Digital Commons Network^™

The Experiences Of Deaf American Muslims In Their Pursuit And Retention Of Employment, Shukry Mahmood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deaf American Muslims in the United States face high levels of unemployment. They often experience compounded marginalization at the intersection of disability, religion, and cultural identity, which often leads to exclusion and underrepresentation in employment contexts. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences while pursuing and retaining employment in the United States of deaf Muslims in United States workplaces. In this qualitative study, a self-designed, semistructured interview protocol with open-ended questions was used to explore these experiences. The sample of 12 participants was selected based on their self-identification as deaf American Muslims with at least 30 …

Staff Education In An Outpatient Psychiatric Setting Using The Teach-Back Method To Improve Staff Knowledge Toward The Ultimate Goal Of Improving Medication Adherence, Laura Assanga Eyong

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For this doctoral project, I implemented a structured staff education intervention at an outpatient psychiatric clinic that required a practice change to address medication nonadherence among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The practice-focused question was: For staff in an outpatient psychiatric setting, will structured education on the use of the teach-back method improve staff knowledge toward the ultimate goal of improving medication adherence? The goal of this project was to conduct a rigorous education program using the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model to bridge the communication gap between staff and patients. Staff knowledge was evaluated via a pre-/posttest design …

Genetic Associations With Pulmonary Embolism Among Those With A Deep Vein Thrombosis: The International Network Against Venous Thrombosis Consortium, Susana Lozano-Esparza, Gabrielle E Shakt, Jennifer A Brody, Angel Martinez-Perez, Matthew P Conomos, Marine Germain, Katharine R Clapham, Maris Teder-Laving, Astrid Van Hylckama Vlieg, Anni Kauko, Florian Thibord, Ohanna C L Bezerra, Girish N Nadkarni, Gaëlle Munsch, Therese Haugdahl Nøst, Ellen L Goode, Yuekai Ji, Daniel I Chasman, Alexander P Reiner, Constance Turman, Kerri L Wiggins, Colleen M Sitlani, Juan Carlos Souto, Pamela L Lutsey, Tiffany Bellomo, Estonian Biobank, Million Veteran Program, Ruifang Li-Gao, Aleksi Kristian Winstén, Ming-Huei Chen, Ron Do, Lénaick Gourhant, Kristian Hveem, Sebastian M Armasu, Noémie Saut, Nathan Pankratz, Franco Giulianini, Jeffrey Haessler, Mingyang Song, Robert Olaso, Eric Boerwinkle, Daniel Dochtermann, Jose Manuel Soria, Stephen S Rich, David Smadja, Satoshi Koyama, Frits R Rosendaal, Teemu Niiranen, France Gagnon, Ha My T Vy, Neil Zakai, Catherine Lemarie, Anne Heidi Skogholt, Jean-François Deleuze, James S Pankow, Paul M Ridker, Yuxi Liu, Kenneth M Rice, Saiju Pyarajan, Mary Cushman, Jospeh Emmerich, Bruce M Psaty, Pradeep Natarajan, Andrew D Johnson, Marc A Rodger, Pierre Suchon, Francis Couturaud, Pierre-Emmanuel Morange, Weihong Tang, Charles Kooperberg, Christopher Kabrhel, Maria Sabater-Lleal, David-Alexandre Trégouët, Alisa S Wolberg, Scott M Damrauer, Nicholas L Smith

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), the latter of which often originates from DVT and can be fatal.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify causal genetic factors that alter risk of PE among those with a presumed DVT.

Methods: Using a case-only design of VTE, we conducted meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) in the International Network Against Venous Thrombosis Consortium. Among participants diagnosed with VTE, each study identified those who had a clinically reported PE, with or without a clinically reported DVT; those remaining had isolated DVT. Logistic regression …

Rethinking Learning From Incidents In Healthcare: A Safety-Ii Model Integrating Work-As-Imagined, Work-As-Done, And Work-As-Experienced, Nawal Khattabi, Axel Ros, Matt Carey, Aled Jones

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Healthcare organizations increasingly investigate patient safety incidents using systems thinking. However, even investigations that claim to adopt a systems approach frequently revert to linear, event-focused reasoning concluding on deviations and recommending further training. A foundational question remains unresolved: when an incident review identifies a "deviation", does this represent exceptional behavior or the system's typical mode of operation that generally succeeds under varying conditions but occasionally fails? Without this distinction, explanations for incidents tend to focus on individual non-compliance rather than understanding the everyday adaptations that enable care delivery in a complex adaptive system. Consequently, incident reviews that promote system learning …

Patient As Teacher: Effects Of Cooperative Learning On A Mental Health Nursing Course, Mei-Ling Lin, Sho-Wei Liu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Nursing education must prepare students not with knowledge but with the empathy and communication skills necessary to engage meaningfully with patients who experience mental illness. However, traditional lecture-based instruction often leads to fragmented knowledge and limited attitudinal change.

Purpose: This study implemented a patient-as-teacher and conducted cooperative learning model in an undergraduate course of psychiatric mental health nursing to improve students’ empathy, reduce stigma, and enhance caring competence.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 83 third-year nursing students enrolled in a four-year program. 42 students participated in the experiment group (patient-as-teacher learning), while 41 received conventional instruction. Validated …

Collaborative Community Partnership To Support Foster Families Caring For Medically Complex Children, Christine Rae Platt, Sally Ann Martens, Nyah Haltom, Michael Thomas, Brandon Thatcher

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Children in foster care experience disproportionate health challenges, particularly those with medical complexity or disabilities. Foster families often report unmet needs related to health literacy, access to care, and caregiver support. Recognizing these challenges, a university-community partnership was established with a state foster care foundation to assess current gaps and identify opportunities to strengthen health and resource support for foster families.

Purpose: To assess the needs of foster families caring for medically complex or disabled children and to collaboratively develop feasible, culturally competent strategies to address identified gaps in care and resources.

Methods: A community-based participatory approach was used …

Factors Influencing Canadian Nursing Students' Confidence, Perceptions, And Interest In Primary Care, Deanne Curnew, Julia Lukewich, Maria Mathews, Marie-Eve Poitras, Kathleen Stevens, Toni Leamon, Kennedy Deveau, Sheila Epp, Anaëlle Morin, Keirsten Smith

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: As team-based primary care expands in Canada, efforts to prepare Registered Nurses for primary care practice are growing. Learning experiences influence students' career-related confidence, perceptions, and interest. No studies have examined Canadian nursing students' academic exposure to primary care (i.e., in undergraduate programs) or the contribution of exposure to their confidence, perceptions, and interest in practicing in primary care.

Purpose: To examine the influence of Canadian nursing education on final-year baccalaureate nursing students’ confidence, perceptions, and interest related to practicing in primary care.

Methods: We conducted an online cross-sectional study of final-year baccalaureate students from accredited nursing programs across …

Academics’ Views On Integrating Climate Change In Nursing And Midwifery: A Mixed Methods Study, Seda Guney, Seda Sarikose, Tuba Sengul, Nurten Kaya

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Climate change is a major global health challenge requiring integration into nursing and midwifery education [1]. Yet, evidence on educators’ awareness, concern, and curricular engagement remains limited [2].

Purpose: This study explored academics’ awareness and worry about climate change and their perspectives on integrating related content into nursing and midwifery curricula.

Design and Methods: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design guided by the Sustainability in Global Nursing framework [3] was used. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently (March–August 2025). The quantitative phase involved 160 faculty members from nursing and/or midwifery programs completing an online survey that included the Climate …

Psychosocial Pathways To Poor Sleep Among High-Stress Military Workforce: A Decision-Tree Analysis, Shih-Ting Li, Yu-Chia Hong, Yun-Cune Chang, Hui-Hsun Chiang

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Sleep disturbances are common in high-stress occupational environments and strongly influence psychological and functional outcomes. This study identified hierarchical psychosocial and occupational predictors of poor sleep among active-duty military personnel using an interpretable machine learning model.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1,386 Taiwanese army personnel was conducted between 2020 and 2021. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI ≥ 5 as poor sleep). Depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and resilience were evaluated using validated scales. A chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision-tree algorithm was applied to identify hierarchical predictors and risk pathways in training (70%) and …

Third Amended Disclosure Statement Debtor

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

"Girl I'Ll Figure It Out": First-Generation Women Of Color Navigating Higher Education, Prisilla Cortez

Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on understanding the experiences of first-generation women of color at a California public four-year institution and how their intersecting identities shape their academic experiences and overall well-being. Women of Color Feminist (Crenshaw, 1991), and intersectionality frameworks guided this study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, and thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in participants’ experiences. Findings revealed three central themes, collective orientation and familial expectations, faculty interactions and sense of belonging, and institutional resources and access. Participants described navigating higher education while balancing family responsibilities, financial pressures, and academic demands. Although they demonstrated resilience …

Selected California State University Cybersecurity Readiness Policies And Related Guidance For Staff: A Qualitative Document Analysis, Andrew Hung-Nguyen

Dissertations

This study examines the cybersecurity and data privacy policy guiding the staff in the following four California State University campuses: Long Beach, San Bernardino, Chico, and Northridge. The purpose is to evaluate how institutional policies communicate expectations for staff and support cybersecurity readiness. Using a qualitative document analysis approach, the study analyzes publicly available policy documents as primary data sources. The analysis is guided by three frameworks, as follows: Weidman’s framework (2018), which assesses the presence of key policy elements; Karakoç’s framework (2022), which evaluates the depth of policy content; and the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formulas …

Rewriting The Plan: Environmental Justice, Community Resistance, And Governance Power In Hollister, California, Rolan Resendiz

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how community-led resistance in Hollister, California, challenged environmental injustice and infrastructure governance through grassroots civic action. Focusing on the Hollister Guardians, a coalition of primarily Latinx residents who organized in response to concerns about the city’s sewer system, this qualitative case study introduces the Critical Just Sustainability Policy Praxis (CJSPP) framework, developed by integrating Critical Policy Analysis and the Just Sustainability Paradigm with a praxis-oriented focus on community action. Using critical document analysis of city council meeting minutes, local media coverage, and community-authored texts mainly from 2023 to 2025, the study explores how policy discourse, institutional decision-making, …

Examining Beliefs Of State Department Of Education Directors Of Assessment Regarding Standardized Testing, Sara L. Kendallen

Dissertations

Directors of assessment in state departments of education are tasked with the planning and oversight, including development, field-testing, validation, and operationalization of statewide assessments. At the state level, directors of assessment are pivotal to a department of education’s ability to meet state and federal testing requirements. Directors of assessment hold their own opinions and beliefs, which may or may not be aligned with current adopted policies. The beliefs of those in state level educational bureaucracies about standardized testing has not been well-researched. It is hoped that this research will add to the greater understanding of statewide assessment. The goal of …

Ensuring Effective, Efficient, And Equitable Libraries In A Post-Pandemic Community College Environment, Jeffery M. Sundquist

Dissertations

Using a case study model, this dissertation investigated student needs regarding library support in a post-pandemic community college environment, using data from student focus group interviews. These needs were juxtaposed with perceived student needs using library employee survey data. Based on the interpretation of data grounded in a critical librarianship framework, the author created action items for college library leaders. To provide effective, efficient, and equitable onsite libraries and library services, the author recommends (a) designing for psychological safety and belonging, (b) embedding visible human support, and (c) conducting equity-oriented space audits. To provide effective, efficient, and equitable online libraries …

Intouch Week Of July 27, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• NYMC Receives $2.7 Million HECap Award
• The Inquiring Minds of Student Research
• Grasslands Garden Blooms into a Community Gathering Space
• Incoming M.D. Students Celebrate Completion of Pre-Matriculation Program
• White Plains Youth Bureau Explore Health Care Careers at NYMC
• Hispanics with Met-ALD Face Higher Rates of Serious Liver Complications
• TCDM Welcomes Class of 2030
• Faculty Spotlight: Jin Li, M.D., Ph.D. ’01: A Lifetime Dedicated to Neurology, Education, and Community Service

Health Literacy, Health Information Seeking Behavior, And Vocal Hygiene Amongst Video Game Voice Actors In The United States, Wendy Lau

Master's Theses

Video game voice actors (VGVAs) perform vocally demanding tasks to bring video game characters to life, and are at high risk for voice disorders. This exploratory study aims to characterize vocal health in VGVAs by investigating the relationships between health literacy, health information seeking behavior, and vocal hygiene practices. Thirty-one VGVAs completed an anonymous online survey. Data were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach: quantitative health literacy scores were calculated, and qualitative data underwent inductive thematic analysis in NVivo. Results show that VGVAs are highly proactive with their vocal health due to their desire for career longevity and their professional vocal …

Out Of The Briar Patch: Storying Resistance Among Black Male Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Its Impact On Their Educational Experiences, Anthony Animuntu

Dissertations

This study examines the lack of support within educational settings for Black boys who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Despite growing attention to trauma-informed practices, the experiences of Black male survivors remain largely absent from educational research. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach informed by critical autoethnography, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five African American men reflecting on their schooling experiences as CSA survivors. Axial analysis revealed four central themes: silence as survival and strategic invisibility, shame and internalized distress, institutional misrecognition, and the transformative role of relational care and educational kinship. Findings indicate that participants’ trauma was often …

Can Curriculum Improve Confidence? Examining The Impact Of The Implementation Of The California Math Framework On Math Anxiety Levels Of Preservice Teachers In California, Amanda Lubbs

Dissertations

In 2010, the state of California adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as an effort to ensure students were graduating high school as college and career ready. Shortly after, in 2013, the California Board of Education adopted the California Math Framework (CMF) as a tool for schools to implement the CCSS for Mathematics (CCSSM). Its recommendations incorporated research-based techniques to alleviate math anxiety through the use of explorative learning experiences that help students understand math skills in applied contexts, and by de-emphasizing rote practice and memorization. This study inquires about the framework’s effectiveness in mitigating math anxiety among pre-service …

"A Door To The Future." A Case Study In Exploratory And Culturally Sustaining Theater Curriculum, Verónica Meza

Dissertations

This study addresses the persistent inequities in access to quality arts education for Latino immigrant and linguistically diverse communities in California. Despite progressive initiatives such as Proposition 28 (The Arts and Music in Schools Act) and the California Arts Council's Racial Equity Statement, systemic barriers prevent Latino and immigrant students from benefiting equitably from the arts. The central objective of this project is to understand how an exploratory, culturally sustaining theater curriculum can serve as a transformative and healing vehicle for adult immigrant Latino students, providing emotional protection, cultural affirmation, and language preservation within a U.S. educational context. This qualitative …

An Untouched Gem: Understanding Parental Perceptions On Community College Attendance, Harshdeep Singh Nanda

Dissertations

Community colleges serve as critical entry points into higher education, yet they continue to carry stigma, particularly within affluent communities where four-year institutions are often positioned as the expected pathway. While existing research has examined student and public perceptions, little attention has been given to how parents in affluent regions shape and transmit these narratives. This study investigated how parents in an affluent region of the San Francisco Bay Area perceive community college as a starting point for their children’s academic careers and how parents may contribute to shifting those perceptions. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, survey data …

Breaking The Glass Ceiling From The Ground Floor: Bipoc Women Classified Professionals’ Journey In California Community Colleges, Lusyna Kim Narvaez

Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined how women in classified professional positions navigate institutional barriers and access professional development within California community colleges. Using Critical Liberatory Feminist Pedagogy, Critical Race Feminist Theory, and Challenging Leadership Theory as analytical frameworks, the study explored the lived experiences of 18 participants across five Northern California community colleges through individual interviews and focus groups. Findings revealed three central themes: strategic communication as a survival mechanism, institutionalized exhaustion, and professional development as gatekeeping. Participants described employing calculated communication strategies to navigate workplace dynamics while minimizing personal and professional risk. The study illuminated how institutional structures create systemic …

Leadership, Identity, And Black Joy: The Career Trajectories And Experiences Of Black Administrators In The California State University System, Uchechukwu C. Ogamba

Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of Black mid- and upper-level administrators within the California State University (CSU) system, with a focus on career trajectories, institutional barriers, support systems, and mentorship. Black administrators are essential but continue to be underrepresented in higher education leadership and limited research focuses on their professional pathways and sustainability within the higher education systems. Guided by Black Joy Theory and Professional Identity Theory, this study uses survey data (n = 24) and semi-structured interviews (n = 8) to explore how Black administrators navigate leadership and create meaning within institutional environments. Quantitative findings highlight the importance of …

Understanding The Impact Of Transfer Orientation Leadership: Student Leader Perspectives At A Mid-Sized California University, Kaci Taylor Turpin

Dissertations

Community college transfer students represent a vital source of diversity for public four-year institutions; at the same time, declining enrollments heighten the need for stronger, more functional transfer pathways between community colleges and four-year universities, especially given the significant vertical transfer gap and the unique barriers transfer students face in student leadership roles. This semi-structured interview study explored the experiential knowledge of 14 first-generation transfer student orientation leaders to understand how they navigate institutional barriers in their on-campus employment. Findings reveal that these leaders navigated institutional barriers by relying on peer networks and drawing heavily on their navigational capital. Furthermore, …

Reskilling And Retraining The Water Technology Workforce: An Agentic Generative Ai Framework For Water Purification, Nano‑Mems, And Curriculum Development, Satyadhar Joshi, Noor Zulfiqar

Harrisburg University Other Works

The rapid digitalization of water infrastructure is bringing artificial intelligence, advanced sensing, and membrane materials science into routine water treatment practice. At the same time, utilities, regulators, and training institutions face a persistent workforce challenge: many operators, engineers, and managers are being asked to adopt data-driven tools without a coherent educational pathway that links AI literacy to real treatment workflows. This article synthesizes recent literature on agentic generative AI, reinforcement learning, smart sensing, nano-enabled membranes, and digital twins for water systems, then translates those developments into a structured reskilling model for the water sector. The proposed framework is organized around …

Third Amended Chapter 11 Plan Filed By The Official Committee

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Construct Overlap Inflates Apparent Economic-Capacity Alignment: Evidence From A Hebei City Panel, 2014–2023, Shuo Pang, Jianguang Hou, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Index-based urban sustainability studies often ask whether urban resilience and economic development evolve harmoniously, but the answer is unreliable when the two constructs contain the same economic indicators. A targeted audit of recent Chinese coupling studies shows that economic variables are commonly embedded in urban-resilience systems without a reported construct-overlap weight check. Using Hebei, China, as a measurement-validity test rather than as another provincial economic-growth case, this study analyzes a balanced 2014–2023 panel of 11 prefecture-level cities. Duplicated economic concepts account for 44.4% of the baseline resilience-index entropy weight and 88.2% of the baseline economic-index weight, indicating substantial mechanical exposure …

Adopting Cultural-Language Translation Technologies To Advance Equitable Older Adult Care, Abdolreza Akbarian, Rosanra Yoon, Mabel Ho, Vess Stamenova, Leinic Chung-Lee, Rui Hou, Josephine Pui-Hing Wong, Abdul-Fatawu Abdulai, Anoushka Anoushka, Andrew Marciniak

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: In this study, we aim to advance equitable access to culture-language-concordant care for older immigrants in long-term care (LTC) and homecare settings by examining current evidence and engaging interest holders in critical dialogue.

Background: Older immigrants with limited English/French proficiency experience language and cultural barriers that compromise safety, person-centred care, and social inclusion. Language translation technologies offer potential solutions, yet their acceptability, feasibility, and equity implications in elder care remain unclear.

Methods: Using Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and Joanna Briggs Institute’s Population-Concept-Context approach, we conducted a scoping review of empirical studies (2005–2024) on cultural-language translation apps and devices used …

Physiological Impacts Of Plastic Ingestion On Sea Turtles, Heather Seaman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the years, plastic production has increased to astonishing numbers and is predicted to continue. Over time, environmental plastic will degrade into smaller pieces, which sea turtles can mistake for prey. Chemicals associated with plastics have been identified in tissues of sea turtles, and some are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Sea turtles are known to ingest plastics, but more information is needed to illuminate the potential physiological impacts plastic chemicals may have on sea turtles. This study compared plastic ingestion and toxicant levels across species and ontogenically, as different species and life stages inhabit different areas which will influence …

Novel Integrative Mobilizable Elements (Imes) In Vibrio Chromosomes Linked To Translucent Post-Larvae Disease (Tpd), Ruyi Hao, Yan Fang, Yang Yang, Mingshu Yang

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Translucent post-larvae disease (TPD), caused by specific Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains, poses a global threat to shrimp aquaculture. A key virulence factor in these strains is the vhv gene cluster, which encodes toxins central to TPD pathogenesis. While plasmid-borne vhv genes have been extensively studied, the chromosome-borne vhv genes in TPD-associated strains remain poorly characterized. In this study, we systematically analyzed integrative mobilizable elements (IMEs) on the small secondary chromosomes of TPD-associated V. parahaemolyticus. Seven nearly identical novel IMEs harboring full-length vhv clusters were identified from seven independent strains. These IMEs encode a tyrosine recombinase for site-specific chromosomal integration, yet lack …