Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies To Enhance The Success Of Six Sigma Process Improvement Projects In Nonmanufacturing Environments, Talondis Whisker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Six Sigma is a fact-based and data-driven methodology for improving products, processes, and services in companies across the world. Many project managers from various industries have tried to implement Six Sigma and have failed, resulting in poor quality of their products, inefficient processes, and cost increases. Grounded in the total quality management framework, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies that project managers used to implement successful Six Sigma process improvement projects in nonmanufacturing environments. The participants were eight Six Sigma project managers who had experience in enhancing the success rates of Six Sigma process improvement …

Descriptive Study Of Coordination And Treatment In West Virginia’S Behavioral/Mental Health Crisis, Samuel Gordon Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

West Virginia’s residents are less likely to have adequate access and effective care coordination when receiving behavioral and mental health treatment as compared to residents of other states. Seeking patterns of relationships can provide administrators with a better understanding of influences that might cause inter and intra-team systemic challenges and how to reorient policies and behaviors to ameliorate micro and macro task failures. The research questions and associated hypotheses involved understanding the nature of associations between three variables - behavioral health treatment status for autism spectrum disorder, behavioral health treatment status for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and professional mental health treatment …

Relationship Between Knowledge, Years Of Licensure, And Attitudes Of Midwives About Female Genital Mutilation And Its Prevalence Among Their Patients In Bawku, Ghana, Frank Debrah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is one of the hindrances to girls' development. FGM is often a rite of passage between childhood and adulthood. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between the knowledge, years of licensure, and attitudes of midwives regarding FGM and the prevalence of FGM among their patients in Bawku, Ghana. Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model served as the theoretical framework to describe the link between midwives' knowledge, attitude, years of licensure, and FGM prevalence. The knowledge and attitude of midwives were classified as exosystem factors. Hence, their direct interaction with patients is likely to affect the patient's practice of …

Experiences Of Early Childhood Leaders In U.S. Nature-Based Learning Programs, Dr. Kristina Henrika Atler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are several benefits of nature-based learning (NBL), and participation in NBL supports developmental outcomes, especially in early childhood education; however, there was little research on how to successfully implement NBL. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of early childhood NBL leaders as they initiated and maintained NBL programs in the United States. The conceptual framework comprised elements of experiential learning theory, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, and place-based learning theory. Data were captured through interviews with 14 early childhood leaders (ECLs), observations of six learning spaces, and site-based document analysis. Data were transcribed, coded, …

Addressing Mental Health Challenges In Graduate Education, Obed A. Boateng

Masters Projects

Graduate students face a multitude of stressors that can negatively impact their mental health and wellbeing, including academic pressures, work-life balance issues, and financial strains. However, minimal attention has been focused the needs of graduate student population, and existing support are limited. More so, student affairs professionals and practitioners (SAPPs) often engage and interact with graduate student. Yet, many SAPPs who are interested in helping address graduate students’ mental health needs lack sufficient training to effectively support graduate students experiencing mental health challenges. The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a comprehensive training program to equip SAPPs …

China Maritime Report No. 37: Re-Engaging With The World: China's Military Diplomacy In 2023, Jie Gao, Kenneth W. Allen

CMSI China Maritime Reports

China’s military diplomacy plays a crucial role in advancing the nation's foreign policy objectives and safeguarding its strategic interests. This report highlights a diverse array of activities within military diplomacy, including senior-level meetings, joint military exercises, naval port calls, UN peacekeeping operations, and academic exchanges. Our findings reveal a significant—but incomplete—recovery in China's military diplomacy activities in 2023, following a period of reduced contacts with foreign militaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia and Russia remain primary partners for China, with emerging strategic importance also seen in Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East. Overall, China's military diplomacy underscores its efforts …

Asl-Catboost Method For Wind Turbine Fault Detection Integrated With Digital Twin, Hongtao Liang, Lingchao Kong, Guozhu Liu, Wenxuan Dong, Xiangyi Liu

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In view of the low visibility of the current wind farm status monitoring and insufficient realtime operation and maintenance, based on the concept of digital twin five-dimensional model, the framework of wind farm digital twin five-dimensional model is constructed. Aiming at the insufficient fault detection capability of traditional algorithms and unbalanced positive and negative samples in fan fault data set, the improved ASL-CatBoost algorithm is proposed to achieve the accurate detection of fan fault status. Based on the digital twinning platform, combined with MATLAB/Simulink, the simulation mathematical model of doubly-fed wind turbine under the condition of blade mass imbalance …

Lanthorn, Vol. 58, No. 17, April 15, 2024, Grand Valley State University

Volume 58, August 7, 2023 - April 15, 2024

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Time-Scale Of Groundwater Recharge In Coastal Plain Soils, Qing Du

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding and modeling the timing and magnitude of groundwater recharge fromrainfall infiltration through vadose zone percolation is important for many reasons but especially because the flux is being acted on by root zone evapotranspiration (ET) and very little of rainfall infiltration ever becomes water table recharge. This study elaborates on the considerable time of the wetting front arrival and ultimate bulk recharge of rainfall infiltration in shallow water table fine-sandy soils typical of coastal plain environments such as Florida. Calibrated Hydrus-1D modeling of Florida (Myakka) soil was evaluated at varying depths of water table and hydraulic conductivities to bracket the …

Translation And Validation Of The Health Literacy Score-14 Questionnaire For Vietnamese Patients With Diabetes, Khoa Tuan Vo, Khue Thy Nguyen, Hirohide Yokokawa, Aya Goto, Toshio Naito

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction:

Health literacy (HL) is a crucial indicator for health promotion and diabetes care improvement, but the available measurements are mostly in English. This study aimed to translate and validate the 14-item Health Literacy Scale (HLS-14) questionnaire from English to Vietnamese for patients with diabetes in Vietnam.

Methods:

We translated HLS-14 into Vietnamese in accordance with the World Health Organization guidelines and conducted a cross-sectional survey among 571 outpatients with type 2 diabetes using the HLS-14 Vietnamese version (HLS-14 VN). The reliability and validity of the tool were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE), and …

When Curriculum Comes To Life: Making French Language ( L2 ) Acquisition A Lived Experience And The Effect Of Students' Progression Towards Proficiency, Julia Marie Martin

Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the Interactive Comprehensive (IC) Method in World Language pedagogy as it is expressed in the DJ DELF IC Curriculum, created by Steven ÉTIENNE Langlois. The IC Method and DJ DELF readers and curriculum were created in response to the 2013-2014 Ontario French as a Second Language (FSL) curriculum reform. This study conducts a qualitative case study to gain a better understanding of how the IC Method through the DJ DELF readers and curriculum affects curriculum effectiveness, language acquisition, and student engagement. These codes were taken into consideration to gain a deeper …

Dyonic Taub-Nut-Ads Spaces: Phase Structures Of All Horizon Geometries, Mohamed Tharwat, Amr Albarqawy, Adel Awad, Esraa Elkhateeb

Faculty Journal Articles

We study phase structures of Lorentzian Dyonic Taub-NUT-AdS spacetimes for different horizon geometries, which could be spherical, flat, or hyperbolic. We check the consistency of our extended thermodynamics approach through satisfying the first law, the Gibbs-Duhem relation, and the generalized Smarr's relation. Although we study the phase structure for the three cases, we give special attention to the flat and hyperbolic cases since they are known to show no phase transitions and were not studied before. Working in a mixed ensemble, we found that the behaviors of the flat and hyperbolic cases are different from those of a charged black …

Adaptability Of A Vertical Transfer Student, Dylan Barron

Masters Projects

Due to the growing population of transfer students, institutions need to prepare the proper resources to mitigate the feeling of transfer shock. This project explores literature pertaining to transfer students and what resources are offered that can either make this transition smooth or rough. Creating a day-long orientation to promote the resources that different offices offer, as well as providing peer mentors to share their knowledge of the institution. To ensure thorough assessment of the acquired knowledge of transfer students in this program and to determine any necessary program adjustments, surveys are conducted.

Avoidant Attachment, Coping Styles, And Body Image In Adults With Trichophagia And Onychophagia Disorders, Maryam Mehrtash

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative research was to study the relationship between avoidant attachment, coping styles, and body image in adults with trichophagia and onychophagia disorders. The repeated failed attempts of patients to reduce or stop their compulsive behavior persist as a significant health concern for clinicians and researchers alike. Previous literature indicated that a lack of recognition of the underlying mental illness in these conditions exists and may be due to the absence of individualized treatment. Attachment theory, proposed in this study, integrates psychosocial and neurobiological factors to examine this study’s therapeutic constructs. Sixty-seven adults with trichophagia (N= 50) …

Jason D. Phillips Cv, Jason D. Phillips

Libraries' Documents

No abstract provided.

Development Of Novel Radiotherapy Treatment Monitoring And Quantitative Cherenkov Surface Dosimetry For Diverse Populations, Savannah M. Decker

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

In the U.S. alone, nearly 2 million people will be diagnosed with cancer annually, and over half of them will receive radiation therapy throughout the course of their care. While widely regarded as safe, radiation therapy presents unique challenges that other procedures, such as surgery, lack. Namely, the invisible nature of the radiation itself makes it impossible to directly visualize treatment. Many immobilization and localization techniques exist to minimize the chance of incorrect radiation dose delivery, yet incidents still occur. Within the last decade, Cherenkov imaging has emerged as a new radiation therapy delivery verification technique. Cherenkov imaging is unique …

W/V-Band Propagation Modeling, Nolan Rebernick

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Enhancing the accuracy of atmospheric loss modeling holds the potential to significantly refine estimations of received power, thereby enhancing the overall quality of satellite communication links. This study aims to pioneer and validate an innovative modeling framework to reliably predict atmospheric attenuation along satellite-to-ground propagation paths, particularly focusing on portions of the W-band (81-86 GHz) and V-band (71-76 GHz). By leveraging meteorological data, this approach will encompass various weather scenarios, including clear skies, cloud cover, and diverse forms of precipitation. Utilizing the generated time domain data, the research aims to construct complementary cumulative distribution functions, enabling the analysis of satellite …

The Spiritual Prodigy, The Reluctant Guru, And The Saint: Mirabai And Collaborative Leadership At Hari Krishna Mandir, Nancy M. Martin

Religious Studies Faculty Articles and Research

This article explores the life and influence of Indira Devi Niloy (1920–1997) who in 1949 began to encounter the sixteenth-century saint–poet Mirabai during her meditative trance states. She would recount songs, stories, and teachings that the saint gave to her as well as scenes from Mirabai’s life that she witnessed as an observer and at other times experienced directly as a participant. Their ongoing relationship would have a tremendous influence on Indira Devi as well as her guru Dilip Kumar Roy (1897–1980) and the increasingly international community that grew up around them. Their interactions and Indira Devi’s reports in turn …

Electrodeposition Of Gadolinium Metal Thin Films For Neutron Phase Contrast Imaging, Mary Louise Gucik

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

A rare earth metal, gadolinium has unique magnetic properties and the largest neutron absorption cross section making it highly sought after in emerging technology. However, unlike most metals, it is difficult to work with and lacks a damascene process. When incorporated into alloys, gadolinium’s properties are muted and the film thickness must increase to account for the low concentration. Gadolinium metal films have been deposited successfully through sputter coating, but these films have density deficiencies and are limited to line-of-sight substrates. In this work, the deposition of gadolinium metal thin films was investigated for use on complex geometries via electrophoretic …

A Phenomenological Study Of Cognitive Dissonance In Colllege Classroom Settings, Christopher Erik Gunnare

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Exploring the manifestation of cognitive dissonance in the classroom setting of traditional first-year college students was the intent of this qualitative, interpretative-phenomenological study. This research consisted of four University of New Mexico first-year student participants from the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years. Data collection consisted of open-ended interviews with each participant utilizing pre-determined questions and prompts based on dissonance scenarios and a follow-up note review session. The focus of the analysis was a deeper understanding of the college students’ experiences of cognitive dissonance in relation to the classroom. Increasing empirical research pertaining to student development and classroom-related cognitive dissonance in …

A New Effective Gravitational Lensing Approach To Constrain Dark Matter, Birendra Dhanasingham

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses offer a unique window into understanding the nature and distribution of dark matter at sub-galactic scales. Beyond the main-lens subhalos, the inclusion of line-of-sight dark matter halos has become essential in lens studies due to their substantial role in perturbing lensed images, making multi-plane lensing a crucial aspect of any lens study. We highlight that these line-of-sight halos appear extended tangentially along the lensing critical line in the effective convergence maps due to the nonlinear nature of multiplane lensing, resulting in a characteristic anisotropic signature in the deflection field. Leveraging tools from large-scale structure analyses, this …

The Reading Rooms: Reading For Pleasure In The Literature Classroom, Kalila Bohsali

English Language and Literature ETDs

The act of reading is the primary thing the literature classroom is concerned with and that is what this project seeks to claim and to understand, specifically the practice and process of reading for pleasure. This dissertation seeks to understand reading as a process, and reading for pleasure and to propose that students and instructors would benefit from paying more attention to reading for pleasure in the literature classroom, and being more transparent in how reading for pleasure is communicated as a shared value. Through a grounded theory interview project and an in-depth exploration of the different "rooms" in which …

Investigating Software Application Use In Secondary Physical Education, Sean Fullerton

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

The first study explored secondary physical education teachers’ acceptance and use of a supplemental software application, PLT4M (“Plat-form”). The study was an exploratory cross-sectional mixed methods study guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Quantitative results showed that performance expectancy, attitude toward use, and price value significantly predicted PE teachers’ behavior intention to use PLT4M. Qualitative data revealed the following themes regarding teachers’ use: (1) differentiation and modifications; (2) accessibility; (3) limitations and challenges. The second study was a descriptive case study design that applied Activity Theory to examine how one high school PE program uses …

On Properties Of Pair Operations, Sarah Jane Poiani

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

For any closure operation $\cl$ and interior operation $\ri$ on a class of $R$-modules, we develop the theory of $\cl$-prereductions and $\ri$-postexpansions. A pair operation is a generalization of closure and interior operations. Using Epstein, R.G. and Vassilev's duality \cite{ERGV-nonres}, we show that these notions are in fact dual to each other. We discuss the relationship between the core and hull and prereductions and postexpansions. We further the thematic notion of duality and seek to understand how it arises in the context of properties pair operations can be endowed with and focus on inner product spaces and properties demonstrated by …

Eco-Efficient Coatings For Healthy Indoors: Ozone Deposition Velocities, Primary And Secondary Emissions, Alessandra Ranesi, Paulina Faria, M. Rosario Veiga, Elliott T. Gall

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone (O3) are harmful pollutants present in indoor air. Indoor concentrations of VOCs are typically higher than outdoors, due to the presence of indoor sources like building materials and ozone-surface reactions. The study aims to identify and quantify the ozone reactivity and primary and secondary emissions of different indoor coatings. The coatings selected for the study were three gypsum-based plastering mortar, with and without the addition of a bio-waste from Acacia dealbata (raw bark, BA, and bark heated at 250°C, BA250), two clay plasters (one with sand and the other with seashells as additional aggregate), …

Quantum Search Algorithms For Constraint Satisfaction And Optimization Problems Using Grover's Search And Quantum Walk Algorithms With Advanced Oracle Design, Abdirahman Sheikh Hassan Alasow

Dissertations and Theses

The field of quantum computing has emerged as a powerful tool for solving and optimizing combinatorial optimization problems. To solve many real-world problems with many variables and possible solutions for constraint satisfaction and optimization problems, the required number of qubits of scalable hardware for quantum computing is the bottleneck in the current generation of quantum computers. In this dissertation, we will demonstrate advanced, scalable building blocks for the quantum search algorithms that have been implemented in Grover's search algorithm and the quantum walk algorithm. The scalable building blocks are used to reduce the required number of qubits in the design. …

Applying The Consumer Decision-Making Model To An On-Campus Coffee Shop, Madalynne Chapman

Honors Projects

The purpose of this research was to use the consumer decision-making model as a framework to assess if there are factors that may prompt (or not prompt) an individual to make a purchase at Forhan’s Café, a small coffee shop located inside of the Maurer Center at Bowling Green State University. To answer this, both a personal interview with a BGSU Dining staff member and an online survey of campus consumers were conducted. The personal interview was conducted to understand their current marketing strategies for the café and to guide the survey design. The online survey consisted of 24 questions …

Teaching "Is This Case Rightly Decided?", Steven Arrigg Koh

Faculty Scholarship

“Is this case rightly decided?” From the first week of law school, every law student must grapple with this classroom question. This Essay argues that this vital question is problematically under-specified, creating imprecision in thinking about law. This Essay thus advocates that law professors should present students with a three-part framework: whether a case is rightly decided legally, morally, or sociologically.

Additionally, this Essay argues that disaggregating the question exposes deeper deficiencies in legal education. Many law professors do not provide students with serious grounding to engage in rigorous thinking about the relationship between law, morality, and justice, not to …

Brief Report: Substance Use Care Continuum In Women With And Without Hiv In The Southern United States, Aditi Ramakrishnan, Ayako W. Fujita, C. Christina Mehta, Tracey E. Wilson, Steve Shoptaw, Adam Carrico, Adaora A. Adimora, Ellen F. Eaton, Deborah L. Jones, Aruna Chandran, Anandi N. Sheth

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Substance use (SU) contributes to poor outcomes among persons living with HIV. Women living with HIV (WWH) in the United States are disproportionately affected in the South, and examining SU patterns, treatment, and HIV outcomes in this population is integral to addressing HIV and SU disparities.

METHODS: WWH and comparable women without HIV (WWOH) who enrolled 2013-2015 in the Women's Interagency HIV Study Southern sites (Atlanta, Birmingham/Jackson, Chapel Hill, and Miami) and reported SU (self-reported nonmedical use of drugs) in the past year were included. SU and treatment were described annually from enrollment to the end of follow-up. HIV …

Ml/Ai Enabled Intelligent Next Generation Autonomous Network System: Performance Enhancement And Management, Harsh Kumar

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The smart next generation autonomous system for network performance enhancement and management, specifically suitable for networks like 5G, B5G, 6G, and SDN, is presented in this PhD dissertation powered by ML/AI. The dissertation has been divided into six critical parts. First, it focuses on QoS monitoring and provisioning using intelligent QoS agent design in 6G network. Second, it elaborates on LSTM and SP-LSTM comparative analysis towards network traffic prediction in 6G networks. Third, digging into 6G frontier navigation using SE-DO for intelligent Agent Optimization. Fourth, the dissertation delves into role delegation function as a service to improve reliability and latency …