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Administrative Burden: The Hidden Costs Associated With Participating In The Department Of Veterans Affairs’ Disability Compensation Process, Christopher Anthony Campagno

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has characterized the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) as a procedural success, citing reductions in remand rates and increases in grant rates. However, VA’s reporting on AMA performance has generally focused on adjudicatory outcomes and has not addressed the administrative burden costs veterans incur while navigating the disability compensation process. Although current scholarship documents administrative burden in other public programs, little empirical work has examined how it manifests in VA’s disability compensation process. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine how veterans describe the learning, psychological, and compliance costs they experienced …

Prefatory Matter And Table Of Contents

University of Miami Law Review

No abstract provided.

Backstory And Conflicts Of Character Development, Kayla Smith

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the role of character development and its effects on the characters in the story. Through detailed research into literary works, this study will identify key factors that contribute to backstories and conflicts that keep the audience engaged. By comparing characters who have experienced trauma, the research will show how character development is affected by supporting characters, cultural background, and the illnesses they have experienced. The findings will suggest that character development is important and can change throughout the story. The thesis aims to provide insight to create characters that will make a difference in the story and …

Relative Impact Of Multidomain Lifestyle Interventions On Deficit Accumulation Frailty Over 24 Months In The U.S. Pointer Trial, Darren R Gitelman, Maryjo Cleveland, Amber A Thro, Yitbarek N Demesie, Heather M Snyder, Rachel A Whitmer, Pankaja Desai, Rifat Alam, Lucia Crivelli, Thomas M Holland, Olivia Preissle, Rema Raman, Michele K York, Laura D Baker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Multidomain lifestyle interventions hold promise as approaches to slow aging. Deficit accumulation frailty indices (FIs) are increasingly used to capture aging processes. Frailty is highly associated with increased mortality and chronic disease risk, but the degree to which multidomain lifestyle changes impact frailty is not clear.

Methods: The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) was a 2-year randomized clinical trial to compare two multidomain lifestyle interventions designed to increase exercise, improve diet, and promote social and cognitive stimulating activities and health monitoring. The Structured intervention incorporated greater structure, intensity, and accountability …

Developing Endpoints For The Cardiac Burden In Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1: A Workshop Report, Thomas A Cooper, Jordana Kron, Greg Hundley, Jennifer Jordan, Amy Ladd, Man Hung, Nicholas E Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cardiac disease is a well-established manifestation of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), characterized by progressive cardiac conduction slowing with increased risk of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, heart block, and sudden cardiac death. Multiple disease modifying therapies are in clinical trials for DM1 and show promise in improving skeletal muscle weakness and myotonia. Testing the effects of these medicines, or others, in the heart is of critical importance, but requires identification of endpoints of cardiac function that accurately reflect the state of DM1 cardiac disease. To better define cardiac endpoints, the Myotonic Dystrophy Clinical Research Network (DMCRN) and the Myotonic Dystrophy …

Multi-Organ Physiologic Deficits During Exercise Identify Clinical And Molecular Predisposition To Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction, Andrew Perry, Phillip Lin, Quanhu Sheng, Shilin Zhao, Kaushik Amancherla, Michael Y Mi, Takenori Ikoma, Laura P Cohen, Ilya Giverts, Joseph Campain, Joao A C Lima, Wendy S Post, Kent D Taylor, Robert Gerszten, Stephen S Rich, Russell Tracy, Peter Durda, Alexis C Wood, Rajeev Malhotra, Jerome I Rotter, Clary Clish, Matthew Nayor, Eric R Gamazon, Ravi V Shah, Gregory D Lewis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Exercise unmasks limitations in multi-organ system reserve capacity characteristic of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the metabolic and genetic underpinnings of exercise deficits, and their cumulative contribution to HFpEF severity and prognosis, remain incompletely understood.

Methods: We used invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (iCPET), metabolite profiling, and genomics to simultaneously characterize seven exercise physiologic deficits in HFpEF patients: reduced exercise stroke volume and heart rate, steep pulmonary capillary wedge pressure/cardiac output (PCWP/CO) slope, elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary mechanical limitation to exercise, impaired peripheral oxygen extraction, and obesity-related exaggerated metabolic cost of initiating exercise. We first mapped …

A Culturally Informed Response To Grief And Loss (Cirgl): A Single Case Study Of Anti-Racist And Culturally Responsive Program Development And Evaluation, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Mostafa Adel Hanafy, Rodney Hopson, Susanna Bohun

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This paper provides a case study analysis of the Culturally Informed Responses to Grief and Loss (CIRGL) Professional Development Program, which equips school-based social workers and other professionals with skills and critical consciousness to support minoritized students in navigating grief and loss. By detailing the CIRGL program’s development, implementation, and culturally responsive evaluation (CRE), the paper outlines the process for developing anti-racist and culturally responsive approaches in social work. The case study draws on the evaluation data including quantitative surveys of participants at the start and near the end of the program, qualitative interviews with a sample of participants near …

Richard Henry Lee: His Life And Legacy As An American Founder And Ways He Reflected Christian Perspectives And Enlightenment Thought, Sarah Lee Beemer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This doctoral dissertation examines the life of Richard Henry Lee, serving as a biography while also looking more closely at the ways Christianity and Enlightenment thought were reflected in Lee’s life and work. Given that Lee is less well known than many of the other American Revolutionaries and founders, this dissertation aims to create a greater awareness of the significant contributions that Lee made in the early history of the United States. In addition to serving as a military leader in Virginia during the American Revolutionary War, he served in a political capacity for decades, including in Virginia’s legislature and …

A Multiple Case Study: Communicating Uncertainty In Intelligence Community Analytic Judgments, Donald S. Terry Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) analysts face incessant challenges in expressing and explaining uncertainty (dependent variable) when communicating analytic judgments to their clients. IC analysts theorize and apply estimative language and levels of confidence in their analysis, and then it is received by decision-makers, ultimately having an impact on policy making. Historic case studies of the pre-war intelligence assessment of Iraqi WMD, the operational and diplomatic outcome of the 2011 raid on UBL, and the intelligence surprise of COVD-19 reflect the impact that uncertainty has on strategic analysis. Data is collected from primary sources, coded, and interpreted to survey ideas and …

A Qualitative Study – The Effect Of Technology Through Social Media On Christian Young Adult’S Self-Image And Moral Development, Claudia Sosa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With technology usage growing among adolescents and much research conducted around the impact social media has on their development and mental wellbeing, there is little research that has been conducted to explore the lived experiences of social media on Christian young adult’s self-image and moral development and what role their faith plays in it. Through a qualitative study via a phenomenological approach and using semi structured interviews, this study sought to understand how Christian young adults ages 18-25 years old experience and describe a shared phenomenon and how they create common meaning on how they believe social media has impacted …

That Of God In Everyone: The Importance Of Indiana And Ohio Quakers In The Abolition Of Slavery In America, 1787-1865, Ryan P. Dreibelbis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Traditional conceptions of the abolition of slavery in America revolve around notions of the Underground Railroad thriving as a Northern operation, significantly in states such as Indiana and Ohio. While it operated extensively in Northern states, albeit not exclusively, due to the criticality of those states, it is important to understand why it existed in the manner it did in those states. Understanding this requires an analysis of the major proponents of the antislavery movement, the activities abolitionists organized and participated in, the beliefs on which they founded their efforts, the lengths they were willing to go to ensure African …

Green Synthesis And Characterization Of Silver Nanoparticles Using Dadap Serep (Erythrina Lithosperma) Leaves Extract As A Bioreductor, Fairuz Hammad Albahi, Suyatno Sutoyo, Tukiran Tukiran

Chimica et Natura Acta

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) had been widely applied in various fields such as health, food, environment, catalysts, optics, and electronics. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles can be carried using a bottom-up method using by bioreductants derived from natural extracts (green synthesis). This study aims to describe the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using a bioreductants from dadap serep (E. lithosperma) leaves extract and to determine its characteristics. The synthesis was carried out by varying the volume ratio of dadap serep leaves extract to silver nitrate solution at ratios of 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 3, and 1: 4, followed by optimization …

The Chemistry Profile Of Essential Oil Of The Roots, Stems, And Leaves Of The Plant Litsea Firma (Blume) Hook F., Rafiunisa Rafiunisa, Rini Muharini, Erlina Erlina

Chimica et Natura Acta

Indonesia, as an agrarian country rich in natural resources, holds enormous potential in the essential oil industry. There are approximately 150–200 species of essential oil-producing plants worldwide, 40 of which are found in Indonesia, including those from the Lauraceae family. The genus Litsea within the Lauraceae family is known for producing essential oils, with Litsea cubeba being the most popular. However, high demand for Litsea’s essential oils encourages the exploration of essential oils from other Litsea species, such as Litsea firma. This study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to look at the chemical profile of essential oils from the roots, stems, …

Correlation Between Ftir Fingerprint Spectra And Inhibition Of Α-Glucosidase Activity Of Andrographis Paniculata Using Partial Least Squares Regression Analysis, Mohamad Rafi, Stevanus Stevanus, Zuhelmi Aziz, Retti Hanggia Anggela, Agus Saputra

Chimica et Natura Acta

Andrographis paniculata has been used empirically by people as traditional medicine to treat diabetes. In this study, we correlated the FTIR spectra and α-glucosidase inhibition by using chemometrics analysis to obtain a functional group from the metabolite present in A. paniculata herb exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. A. paniculata herb powder was extracted using water, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane using ultrasonication method. The dried extract obtained was then measured for its FTIR spectra and determined for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Absorbance data from the FTIR spectra of A. paniculata herb extracts were used as a principal component analysis (PCA) variable for …

Evaluation Of Thrombotic Markers In Diabetic Septic Foot: A Study Of Coagulation And Hematological Parameters In Khartoum State, Anwar S. Alhussan, Sahar Elbagir, Sarah O. Alsawmhi, Hassn Pyar

Chimica et Natura Acta

Diabetes mellitus is a globally prevalent chronic disease. It is characterized by a metabolic dysregulation in insulin secretion, resulting in persistent hyperglycemia. Uncontrolled HbA1c levels may lead to various complications, including diabetic Septic foot (DSF), which in severe cases can progress to lower limb amputation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate coagulation profiles and hematological parameters as potential thrombotic and inflammatory markers associated with diabetic foot infections. Preventive measures, patient education, and proper diabetic foot care remain the cornerstone strategies for reducing the risk and progression of such complications. The Total of 120 participants were divided into three groups by …

Interferon-Induced Protein Ifit3 As A Molecular Nexus Of Neuroinflammation In Alzheimer’S Disease And Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders, Ranjit Kumar Das, Nirakar Sahoo, Deepa Roy, Lauren Nguyen, Hansapani Rodrigo, Asim K. Duttaroy, Jerel Adam Fields, Upal Roy

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) are significant global health concerns characterized by cognitive impairment and shared pathological features, including chronic neuroinflammation, amyloid deposition, and immune dysregulation. However, the precise molecular connections between these disorders remain unclear. Here, we identify IFIT3 as a critical shared mediator of neuroinflammatory responses in both AD and HAND. Using complementary approaches, including neuronal and microglial cell cultures, the APP/PS1 mouse model, and human postmortem brain tissues, we demonstrate consistent IFIT3 upregulation in response to amyloid-beta (Aβ) and HIV-1 exposure, with notably enhanced expression under combined conditions. Treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) …

Editorial: Publishing Impact Awarded, Frazer Underwood

South West Clinical School Journal

No abstract provided.

The Unsovereign Citizen: The Reconfiguration Of Rights And Belonging In Fascist Italy, Roberta Pergher

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Modern political thought tends to associate citizenship with democracy, equality, and political participation. This article demonstrates that citizenship can be profoundly important also for authoritarian rule. In Fascist Italy, citizenship remained central to political life, not as a vehicle of democratic participation, to be sure, but as a category through which the regime redefined belonging, hierarchy, and sovereignty. Drawing on citizenship legislation, imperial ordinances, racial laws, police reports, and ministerial commentary between 1912 and 1943, this article shows how the dictatorship hollowed out liberal citizenship within the peninsula, stratified it across imperial territories, consolidated it across diasporic populations, and ultimately …

Development And Feasibility Testing Of A Video-Based Virtual Reality Bullying Safety Skills Intervention For School-Aged Children With Disabilities, Trevor C. Maxfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a promising instructional tool for children with disabilities; however, research on using VR to improve safety skills in this population remains limited. The present study employed a 2-phase approach to develop and evaluate a video-based VR bullying safety skills intervention for children with disabilities. In Phase 1, bullying and applied behavior analysis experts reviewed and validated the intervention content, including the response to bullying steps, school-based scenario storyboards, and embedded behavioral procedures, rating the content as valid and technically adequate. Expert feedback informed refinements to the intervention content and the decision to transition …

Family-Owned Small And Medium Enterprises And The Influence Of Social Capital Dimensions On Innovative Performance, Dawn Renee Proctor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Family-owned businesses in the United States encounter innovation and performance challenges that may contribute to unsustainable business practices. Owners and managers of family-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must understand these challenges, as failure to do so may indicate missed opportunities to leverage innovation through dimensions of social capital. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, correlational study was to measure investment levels within social capital dimensions (structural, relational, and cognitive) that impact family-owned SMEs’ innovative efforts and performance capabilities in the West and Midwest regions of the United States. The theoretical foundation was social capital theory. There were four research …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of African American Millennial Couples' Perceptions Of Dual Trauma And The Impact On Marital Satisfaction, Christopher Ray Merrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe African American millennial married couples’ experiences with unresolved trauma in the North Texas Region, Texas. The theory guiding this study is John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory. Multiple traumatic experiences and relationship fractures that inhibit marital satisfaction among African American millennials are also examined. Trauma, viewed from a generalized perspective and conceptual form, is defined as an uncontrollable and sudden event with highly adverse outcomes that may persist. Among African Americans, trauma from interpersonal distress, historical events, racial barriers, and socioeconomic stressors often hinders the pursuit of healthy marriages. This study examines millennial …

Samson As Judah/Israel: Parallelism And Metaphor In Judges 13–16, Roy A. Scorup

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that the Samson narrative in Judges 13–16 functions as a metaphorical parallel to Israel and Judah. By employing rhetorical criticism methodology, this study will trace the parallelism between Samson and the twin nations of Israel and Judah and analyze the unique flourishes and oddities that are replete in the account, which largely serves to advance this metaphor.

The parallels between Samson and his nation are striking, tracing a shared trajectory from divinely appointed origins, chronic rebellion, and ultimate decline. While many scholars have noted a strong parallelism between Samson and the Israelite nations, aside from Greenstein’s “The …

‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’: The Religious And Political Missions Of The American-Catholic Military Chaplaincy During The Mexican-American War, Daniel Thomas Louis Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The historical community has neglected to deeply analyze the American-Catholic military chaplaincy in the Mexican-American War, 1846-1848. With exceptions, most historians, who have discussed this chaplaincy, have run the spectrum of dedicating an entire chapter to a few sentences on it. “‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’” offers a first, in-depth monograph of this chaplaincy. “‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’” argues that the political mission from President James K. Polk to the chaplaincy, which was to help reconcile Americans and Mexicans, did not truly suffer the failure or the mediocrity that certain historians have portrayed it to be. Instead of analyzing the chaplaincy’s …

The Development And Leadership Implementation Of Strategies Promoting Church Health In The Presbytery Of The Central West, New South Wales, Australia, Mark S. Armstrong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many Churches in the Presbyterian rural landscape have plateaued or are in decline. Little research has been done to address the causes and provide strategies for remediation. This study examines this problem in the Presbytery of the Central West, New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of the project is to identify factors causing church decline in rural areas and develop revitalization strategies for ministers and elders across the Presbytery. The research consists of two layered responses. The first layer identifies factors causing church decline and develops five strategies suitable for implementation. The second layer utilizes Mezirow’s transformative learning framework to …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Utilization Of Coping Strategies Among Pastors: Religious Strategies Vs. Secular/Traditional Strategies, Arbedella Denise Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how Christian pastors serving congregations throughout the United States utilize religious and secular coping strategies to address occupational stress and achieve work-life balance. The theory guiding this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional model of stress and coping, as it provided a framework for understanding how pastors cognitively and emotionally respond to ministry-related challenges, and how their coping choices, whether spiritual or secular, reflect an ongoing process of adaptation, meaning-making, and resilience within complex realities of pastoral life. The study was guided by three research questions that explored how pastors …

Victory In Spite Of Themselves: The Continental Congress, The Continental Army, And The Politics Of Failure In The American Revolution, Stuart D. Hatfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the civil–military relationship between the Continental Congress and the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, arguing that the American victory occurred despite persistent structural, ideological, and administrative deficiencies within the revolutionary government. The study addresses six central research questions concerning the composition and authority of the Continental Congress, the formation and operational parameters of the Continental Army, the influence of congressional decision‑making on military strategy, the development of conflict between Congress and the officer corps, the effects of Congress’s logistical and financial failures on the Army’s ability to sustain operations, and the role of George Washington …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Christians Who Have Experienced Divine Healing And The Role Of Relational Spirituality, Dora Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Divine healing has been described as miraculous and supernatural, attributed to a divine entity, and other methods. Pathways have varied from fasting, praying, worshiping, the Holy Spirit, Scripture, faith, hope, trusting, surrendering, and having a relationship with God. Perceptions and understandings of God, as influenced by religious and spiritual beliefs, are referred to as relational spirituality grounded in attachment theory, which may lead to viewing God as an attachment figure, influencing perceptions of self and others. This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Christians who have experienced divine healing and the role of relational spirituality. Delimitations are …

Empath: A Novel Treatment Modality To Improve Patient Outcomes, Barry Thomas Peade Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In recent years, increasing patient volumes in emergency departments, rising cases of overdoses, and strained resources have heightened the attention paid to behavioral health care in the emergency department setting. Currently, various models of care attempt to streamline the provision of care for behavioral health patients in the emergency department. EmPATH, developed by Dr. Scott Zeller, offers rapid stabilization for psychiatric crises. While preliminary studies show promise, further research is needed. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of EmPATH implementation on patient outcomes, including boarding times, readmission rates, and inpatient admissions. Data was collected before and after implementation of …

Trauma Bonding In Sex-Trafficked Women: A Single-Subject Multiple-Baseline Mixed Methods Study, Kathysue Dorey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Trauma bonding was studied in a convergent mixed methods single-subject multiple-baseline experiment research design that captured the lived experiences of female sex-trafficked victims. The relationship between the transtheoretical treatment program as the independent variable and the dependent variables of trauma bonding, the ESI framework of EQ, creative problem-solving, Christian doctrine, and the creative environment were investigated. While the moderated mediation Hayes Model 89 statistical program initially was proposed to analyze quantitative data, the study design was revised to reflect the N = 2 subject pool. The TBRP–A, EQi® 2.0, SAI, and PEFSC were used as quantitative instruments, along with their …

Music Teachers’ Perceptions And Actual Effects Of Youth Orchestra Participation On Students’ Playing Ability, Erika J. Pierce

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite research demonstrating a significant correlation between social and academic development with participation in a youth orchestra, few studies have examined whether participation directly affects students’ note-reading skills, the accuracy of pitch production, and musical expression. This information matters because students often join a youth orchestra to develop these and other playing skills beyond what school programs and private lessons teach. This applied research study examined youth orchestra participation by comparing teachers’ perceptions with demonstrated performance outcomes on middle school students’ development in note-reading, pitch production accuracy, and musical expression. This study analyzed rubric-scored student performance recordings alongside teacher survey …