Digital Commons Network^™

Veterans And Higher Education: How Military Service Affects The College Student Experience, Sean M. Berryman

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education has, in the past, paved the road to success for many Americans. Since it currently seems to be the consensus in American society, in general, that a college degree is needed to secure a good job, which leads to a good income in order to provide for oneself and one’s family, college is the road most Americans choose in order to achieve these goals. Since World War II (WWII), veterans have increasingly sought college degrees post-service to bring them in line with their civilian counterparts: they obtained experience in the military, now the degree gives veterans the opportunity …

Intouch Week Of June 16, 2025, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Jonathan Sheindlin, M.D. '93, and John Morningstar to be Honored at NYMC’s Annual Golf Tournament
• 15th Annual Paul K. Woolf, M.D., Pediatric Trainee Research Day Spotlights Outstanding Research
• NYMC Researchers Identify Novel Strain of Syphilis Bacterium
• TCDM Alumni Reunion Celebrates the Class of 2020 and Showcases Innovation in Digital Dentistry
• Alumni Spotlight: 2025 Student Commencement Speakers Reflection on NYMC and What Comes Next
• Alumni Spotlight: The Cooper’s Lifelong Bond with NYMC

Development And Miniaturization Of Pad-Printed Carbon Electrodes For Antibody-Type Biosensing, Elizabeth Danielle Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Miniaturized, pad-printed carbon electrodes (PPCEs) offer a promising platform for antibody-type biosensors, enabling rapid and cost-effective point-of-care diagnostics. This study investigates the development, fabrication, and electrochemical performance of large and miniaturized PPCEs functionalized for antibody-type detection, with the eventual goal of detecting pancreatic cancer specific biomarkers. The PPCEs were made of silver- and carbon- based inks that were formulated to be pad printable and conductive and printed on polycarbonate film so they can be easily disposed of after use. Each PPCE was thoroughly cleaned with ethanol several times to ensure a clean base on which to adsorb antibodies and antigens. …

Employee Engagement As A Mediator Between Transformational Leadership And Organizational Commitment, Catherine Despotovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The hospitality industry in the Southeast United States plays a vital role in economic growth but faces leadership challenges that impact employee engagement and organizational commitment. Hospitality industry leaders should understand these challenges that disrupt service quality and negatively impact customer satisfaction and organizational stability. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership, employee engagement, and organizational commitment in the hospitality industry of the Southeast United States. The participants were 100 full-time hospitality employees who completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The results revealed significant positive …

Re: Conditional Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) 2025 Revised Draft Final Unreclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Dated May 15, 2025), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Dismissing Human Trafficking: Forced Arbitration Of Survivors’ Civil Suits, Annie Smith, Daniel Werner

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Lost Without A Cause: The Sixth Circuit’S But-For Standard For False Claims Act Violations Harms Healthcare Fraud Enforcement, Margo Chapin

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Wireless In-Situ Slurry Testing Device, Andrew Ward

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deep foundations are a critical piece of infrastructure used in bridge and high-rise constructions. A type of deep foundation called a drilled shaft is commonly used for these types of large structures due to their ability to resist large axial and lateral loads. Excavations in many soils require hole stabilization methods often involving drilling fluids like polymer or bentonite slurries. When used properly, these slurries prevent groundwater intrusion and side wall sloughing into the excavation. Slurry specifications are set by local or state jurisdictions, research findings, or product manufacturers. Over the years, the Florida standard specifications on slurry integrity testing …

A Combined Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Social Skill Intervention For Autistic Youth With Symptoms Of Anxiety, Ashley Dreiss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent co-occurring diagnoses in autistic youth, often exacerbating challenges in social functioning and quality of friendships. While social skills interventions and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have demonstrated efficacy in addressing these difficulties separately, limited research has examined the integration of these approaches within an individualized format, while including measures of self-report and generalization of skills. This study investigates the development, implementation, and efficacy of a combined CBT/social skill intervention for autistic youth with symptoms of anxiety. Utilizing a single-case multiple baseline design, the study evaluates outcomes across levels of anxiety symptoms and social competence …

Creative Climates: The Impact Of Different Environmental Exposure On Group And Individual Creativity, Michael P. Hopkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the influence of indoor versus outdoor environmental exposure and individual versus group participation on verbal creativity performance. Guided primarily by Attention Restoration Theory (ART; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989), it was predicted that outdoor natural settings would enhance creativity through restorative cognitive processes. Additionally, it was hypothesized that groups would outperform individuals due to the cognitive advantages of collective induction and information pooling. Participants (N = 256) completed verbal creativity tasks—Remote Associates Task (RAT; convergent creativity) and Alternate Uses Task (AUT; divergent creativity)—following a 30-minute exposure period in either an indoor student center or outdoor botanical garden setting, …

Applying The Nonadoption, Abandonment, Scale-Up, Spread, And Sustainability (Nasss) Framework To Adapt The Champ App For Pediatric Feeding Tube Weaning: Application And Case Report., Dana Bakula, Alexandra Zax, Sarah T. Edwards, Kristina Nash, April Escobar, Rachel Graham, Amy Ricketts, Ryan Thompson, Sarah Bullard, Julianne Brogren, Leah Shimmens, Lori A. Erickson

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based tube feeding (TF) weaning involves reducing the volume of tube feeds to induce hunger, with interdisciplinary monitoring to allow for proactive medical, nutritional, and behavioral intervention as needed. This can be done outpatient; however, the current standard of care requires a high degree of medical monitoring and care coordination, which can be challenging to implement. The CHAMP App is a mobile app designed for remote patient monitoring of children born with congenital heart conditions who are at high risk for medical morbidity and mortality. The CHAMP App remote patient monitoring program would be ideally suited to improve medical …

The Tumor Suppressor Hnrnpk Induces P53-Dependent Nucleolar Stress To Drive Ribosomopathies, Pedro Aguilar-Garrido, María Velasco-Estévez, Miguel Ángel Navarro-Aguadero, Álvaro Otero-Sobrino, Marta Ibáñez-Navarro, Miguel Ángel Marugal, María Hernández-Sánchez, Prerna Malaney, Ashley Rodriguez, Oscar Benitez, Xiaroui Zhang, Marisa Jl Aitken, Alejandra Ortiz-Ruiz, Diego Megías, Manuel Pérez, Gadea Mata, Jesús Gomez, Miguel Lafarga, Orlando Domínguez, Osvaldo Graña-Castro, Eduardo Caleiras, Pilar Ximénez-Embun, Marta Isasa, Paloma Jimena De Andres, Sandra Rodríguez-Perales, Raúl Torres-Ruiz, Enrique Revilla, Rosa María García-Martín, Daniel Azorín, Josune Zubicaray, Julián Sevilla, Oleksandra Sirozh, Vanesa Lafarga, Joaquín Martínez-López, Sean M Post, Miguel Gallardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The nucleolus is a membraneless organelle and an excellent stress sensor. Any changes in its architecture or composition lead to nucleolar stress, resulting in cell cycle arrest and interruption of ribosomal activity, critical factors in aging and cancer. In this study, we identified and described the pivotal role of the RNA-binding protein HNRNPK in ribosome and nucleolar dynamics. We developed an in vitro model of endogenous HNRNPK overexpression and an in vivo mouse model of ubiquitous HNRNPK overexpression. These models showed disruptions in translation as the HNRNPK overexpression caused alterations in the nucleolar structure, resulting in p53-dependent nucleolar stress, cell …

Blastemia Portrays A Poor Prognosis In Acute Leukemia Patients With Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis, Sung-Yeon Cho, Sebastian Wurster, Ying Jiang, Alexandre Bazinet, Yang Hui, Russel E Lewis, Takahiro Matsuo, Nathaniel Albert, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Severe and prolonged neutropenia is associated with poor outcomes of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in leukemia patients. Given the high frequency of IPA in patients with relapsed/refractory leukemia, we studied the association of peripheral blood blast burden (blastemia), IPA outcomes, and antifungal immune failure, even without neutropenia.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed adult patients with acute leukemia (AL) or myelodysplastic syndrome and culture-positive proven/probable IPA (2011-2022). Blast and neutropenia indices were calculated and incorporated into multi-variable prognostic models. The impact of blasts on immune cell-mediated fungal clearance was studied in vitro.

Results: Among 74 patients, 69% had neutropenia and 57% …

Harnessing Natural Product Compounds To Target Dormancy Survival Regulator (Dosr) In Latent Tuberculosis Infection (Ltbi): An In Silico Strategy Against Dormancy, Mandeep Chouhan, Mukesh Kumar, Vivek Dhar Dwivedi, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Himanshu Narayan Singh, Sanjay Kumar

School of Medicine Publications

Dormancy occurs when Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) enters a non-replicating and metabolically inactive state in response to hostile environment. During this state, it is highly resistant to conventional antibiotics, which increase the urgency to develop new potential drugs against dormant bacilli. In view of this, the dormancy survival regulator (DosR) protein is thought to be an essential component that plays a key role in bacterial adaptation to dormancy during hypoxic conditions. Herein, the NP-lib database containing natural product compounds was screened virtually against the binding site of the DosR protein using the MTiopen screen web server. A series of computational analyses …

Exploring The Differences Of Gender On Physician Burnout And Perceptions Of Work Environment, Holly C. Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Physician burnout is a growing public health crisis, threatening care quality, patient safety, and workforce sustainability. Research suggests gender may influence burnout levels and perceptions of the work environment. This quantitative, cross-sectional study examined gender differences in physician burnout and workplace perceptions among U.S. physicians that impact burnout. A total of 170 licensed physicians completed an online survey using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS (MP)) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS). MANOVA results indicated a significant multivariate effect of gender on burnout. Follow-up ANOVA testing revealed that gender was significantly related to emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment. …

The Colors Of Good And Evil: A Quantitative Study On The Effect Of Disney Animated Feature Films On Audience Color Association, Grace Mallory Hayes

Masters Theses

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine what impact Disney animated feature films have on audience color association. The problem is that Disney assigns colors to certain movie roles that are in contrast to what color theory posits or would assume. This study sought to determine if audiences that are highly saturated in Disney animated feature films receive a different message from colors than someone who does not regularly consume Disney films. This research examines the impact of Disney habitually assigning colors to characters in contrast to their traditional meaning on the emotional association of viewers through …

Strengthening Communication Between Staff And Health Providers In A Mental Health Setting, Michael Tricoli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Communication between nursing staff and providers is essential for supporting optimum patient outcomes. Each component of the communication process needs to be clearly defined to create an environment of safety for both patients and caregivers. The SBAR (situation, background, assessment, recommendation) is a nurse-driven protocol that is widely used as a communication and documentation template in health care organizations. This format is currently not being used effectively on the mental health units where the evidence-based project was implemented. Recognizing and reiterating the value of SBAR as a communication tool is necessary when communication deficits are noted. The purpose and scope …

Olfactory Training: Reclaiming Our Wellbeing, Nathan Smetzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The connection between the sense of smell and memory offers a promising avenue for enhancing cognitive, emotional, and mental health, thereby contributing to overall wellbeing. This research explores how olfactory stimuli relate to memory and emotion, aiming to expand understanding of the effects of scent-based interventions on mental health. Utilizing a 12-week longitudinal phenomenological approach with experimental components, the study engaged seven participants in a regimen of olfactory training twice daily. Participants used essential oils—citrus, cloves, eucalyptus, and rose—applied to cotton and kept in sealed containers, along with a pen and daily planner. Data were gathered through recurring qualitative interviews …

Strategies For Time Management Challenges Of The First-Year Secondary School Music Educator, Jamey Bartlett Derks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the number of first-year music educators, there is a lack of research on the challenges of time management that first-year teachers face. Time management affects first-year secondary music teachers in areas that challenge their success in the classroom. This study recovered first-year music educators’ perspectives and experiences in the music classroom, specifically regarding time management challenges. Guided by Husserl’s phenomenological research model, this qualitative phenomenological research study identified perspectives that must be explored and documented concerning first-year music educators’ time management challenges. Perspectives on lesson planning, classroom management, and mentor assistance have emerged as themes through studying a small …

Exploring Age And Employee Experience Among Healthcare Workers Post-Covid-19 Pandemic, Sheila-Celestine Bonner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study focused on the well-being of healthcare employees and their experience following COVID-19. The pandemic has negatively affected adults over the age of 50 in the United States and limited their ability to return to work. Older adults who have returned to work have faced challenges with discrimination, lack of work, stress, and other factors. A survey of 59 adult healthcare workers, 21 years and older, was conducted to determine whether there is a relation between age and perceptions of organizational support during the pandemic including work factors such as stress, job satisfaction, and age discrimination. A non-experimental research …

Implementation Of An Educational Intervention To Improve Antibiotic Stewardship In An Urgent Care Setting, Evelyn Jane Clinton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Antimicrobial resistance is a leading threat to global health. Resistance to antibiotics in the United States continues to increase contributing to rising numbers of resistant infections and subsequent deaths. This highlights the critical need for increased focus on antibiotic stewardship efforts. Urinary tract infections are one of the leading indications for antibiotic prescription in the outpatient setting and research suggests that there is an opportunity for improvement in antibiotic stewardship efforts in this area. The PICOT question for this project is as follows: In an urgent care setting, does provider education on the current evidence for urinary tract infection diagnosis …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenology Study Interpreting The Lived Experience Of K-12 Teachers: The Role Of Technology Integration In Shaping Academic Performance, Kathy S. Vaughan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to interpret the lived experience of K-12 teachers and the role of technology integration in shaping academic performance. The theory guiding this study was Bronfenbrenner's theory, which described how important the environments surrounding the individual were in affecting development. The central research question guiding this study was, "How do K-12 teachers interpret their lived experiences with technology integration and its role in shaping academic performance?" Participants in the study included K-12 teachers from the southeastern United States with at least three years of experience integrating technology. The participants were selected using purposive …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Church In The Healing Process For African American Women In The Washington, D.C., Area Suffering From Self-Diagnosed Depression In Recovery From Intimate Partner Violence, Kimberly D. Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of African American women who have utilized the church after intimate partner violence (IPV) suffering self-diagnosed depression in the Washington, D.C. area. The approach guiding the methodology of this study is Clark Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological approach. There is a need to explore what type of support the church offers as a source of healing for those who need assistance and will not seek professional counseling for various reasons. While there has been much research on depression resulting from IPV, there is a gap in the literature regarding …

Understanding The Challenges And Needs Of Postpartum Soldiers In Fitness Training, Sarah Elizabeth Eaton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Postpartum females are consistently faced with unique challenges within the military setting. Prior studies have illustrated increased risks of musculoskeletal injury and psychological distress in military postpartum females due to insufficient recovery time and inconsistent unit support (Acton, 2021; Armitage et al. 2014; Darroch et al., 2023). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Army postpartum females, aged 18-45, who have delivered over 36 weeks, either vaginal or cesarean, who have given birth within the last two years, as they navigate the physical and psychological challenges of preparing for the Army Combat Fitness Test …

Therapists’ Inclusion Of Forgiveness During Cognitive Processing Therapy For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Marybeth Goodman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated whether the inclusion of an evidence-based forgiveness therapy during a course of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) improved the efficacy of the treatment. This quasi-experimental, quantitative study examined 201 completed episodes of care from CPT-trained and rostered clinicians. Participants were divided into two groups. Group one contained clinicians who used no less than 46 minutes of an evidence-based forgiveness therapy intervention (n = 102), and group two (n = 99) contained clinicians who did not utilize an evidence-based forgiveness intervention. Pre- and post-treatment PTSD symptom severity was measured using the PTSD Checklist for …

Teachers' Lived Experiences Of Work Intensification In A New Jersey High School, John Joseph Manning

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore high school teachers’ lived experiences with work intensification in northern New Jersey. The theory that guided this study was Apple’s teacher work intensification thesis as it helps to explain the organizational conditions that lead to increases in teacher workloads, as well as teachers’ responses to work intensification. The central research question for this study involved exploring the lived experiences of 10 public high school teachers in New Jersey managing perceived feelings of time poverty due to work intensification. Sub-questions were used to explore teachers’ value of time during their workday, …

A Case Study For Faithful Biblical Expository Preaching And Teaching: The Transformation Of Members In The Anointed Church Of Jesus Christ, Elijah Narplah Wreh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN action research evaluates the effectiveness of biblical expository preaching in demonstrating the inerrancy of Scripture and determining the impact of the twelve-week sermon series with the congregation at the Anointed Church of Jesus Christ in Elyria, Ohio. The process is designed to benefit the church’s congregation, help them faithfully obey God’s Word, and be drawn to God’s reality and the answers it provides through biblical preaching. The research methodology covers the application of biblical expository preaching. The congregation was instructed on various phraseological expressions, including expositional preaching, bibliocentric, Christocentric, inspired Scripture, applications, and illustrations, which helped enhance and …

Improving New Graduate Nurse Clinical Judgment By Training Preceptors On The Use Of The Tanner Model, Denise E. Carr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

New graduate nurses (NGNs) often enter the workforce with deficits in clinical judgment, which has been further exacerbated by pandemic-related limitations in clinical education. This project aimed to improve NGN clinical judgment by training preceptors to use the Tanner Clinical Judgment Model (TCJM) and Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR). A quasi-experimental evaluation design was used to compare outcomes between two groups of preceptor–preceptee pairs. Half of the preceptor participants received training on the TCJM and LCJR, while the other half did not. Clinical judgment development was measured using the LCJR pre- and post-orientation. Additional preceptor feedback regarding the implementation and …

A Quantitative Study Of Ai-Voice Based Assistant Users That Anthropomorphize Technology As Social Actors, Brandon Alton Bassett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem was that there were limited studies that acknowledged how voice-based assistant users perceive the intelligence of voice-based assistants and the different variation levels of trust towards it. The purpose of this quantitative research was to investigate how demographic variables such as generation, ethnicity, gender and education level influence perceptions of trust and perceive intelligence towards AI-voice based assistants. The rationale for this research was that voice-based assistants have garnered 46% of the human-technology interaction. It is pivotal that voice-assistant applications listen to the need of its users’ as it pertains to the user experience. Voice-based assistants users’ perception …

Emdr Future Template Study, Helen Jimenez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapeutic modality designed to reduce the emotional impact of distressing experiences using bilateral stimulation (Shapiro, 1999). Social anxiety remains a widespread mental health concern with social and personal consequences (Asakura et al., 2023). This study examined whether three EMDR Future Template sessions could reduce mild to moderate social anxiety. Seventeen adults, ages 18 to 65, who either self-reported or were clinically diagnosed with social anxiety completed three weekly telehealth sessions lasting 20 to 30 minutes each. In each session, the seventeen participants focused on anticipated future social scenarios and visualized adaptive responses …