Digital Commons Network^™

Relationship Between Sociodemographic Factors And Opioid Overdose Mortality In Milwaukee County, 2020-2021, Elizabeth David

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioid overdose deaths increased significantly from 2020 to 2021, with Milwaukee County experiencing higher rates than the national and state averages. African American and Hispanic residents faced disproportionately high fatal overdose rates. The purpose of this quantitative retrospective cross-sectional study was to examine the associations among socioeconomic status, race, age, access to treatment (measured by emergency medical services [EMS] naloxone administration), and opioid overdose mortality among underserved minority populations in Milwaukee County. Guided by the social-ecological model, the study analyzed data from the Milwaukee Health Department and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office across 34 ZIP codes. Inclusion criteria for …

Self-Care Behavior And Diabetes Knowledge In African American Women With Type 2 Diabetes, Rena Renee Barron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women experience a disproportionate burden of Type 2 diabetes, and limited evidence exists regarding the relationship between diabetes knowledge and self-care behaviors, particularly among African American female veterans. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between diabetes knowledge and diabetes self-care among African American women with Type 2 diabetes, including a subsample of African American female veterans, and to evaluate whether the COVID-19 pandemic (2017–2019 vs. 2021–2023) moderated this relationship. Additional variables included age, marital status, physical health, and mental health. Guided by the social-ecological model, de-identified data from the Behavioral Risk Factor …

Improving Advanced Care Planning Conversations And Documentation Through App Education And Standardized Epic Workflow: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Michelle N. Rutter, Emily Goldstein

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Background & Significance: Advance care planning (ACP) is essential for ensuring (GOC), particularly in acute care settings, defined in this paper as inpatient hospital environments, including critical and intensive care units (ICU), where a patient’s decision-making capacity could become impaired. ICU patients are often critically ill and may lose the ability to make health care decisions. Family uncertainty regarding patient preferences frequently exacerbates psychological distress regarding GOC. Restricted access to ACP may result in non-concordant medical care, as well as elevated healthcare expenditures driven by the underutilization or inappropriate allocation of critical resources. Despite the recognized importance of ACP and …

Understanding Ourselves And Others: A Social Psychology Approach, Whitney Whitaker Ph.D., Noba Project

All Open Educational Resources

This book is a compilation of Open Education Resources for the use in an undergraduate level social psychology course at Fort Hays State University.

Expressive Arts For Women Experiencing Homelessness, Theresa G. Karman, Susan Macdermott, Amy Lyons-Brown

Summer 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Women experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence face significant occupational disruptions, including challenges related to emotional regulation, identity, social participation, and engagement in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapy (OT) can support recovery by addressing these occupational needs through trauma-informed and occupation-centered interventions.

Purpose: This doctoral capstone project developed and implemented Express & Empower Studio, a six-week expressive arts program designed to promote emotional expression, self-efficacy, social participation, and engagement in meaningful occupations among women residing in a domestic violence shelter.

Methods: Program development was guided by the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) and the Expressive Therapies Continuum (ETC) within …

Lightweight End-To-End Cryptographic Framework With Semantic Qos For Ar-Based Telesurgery, Pavan Kumar Satram

Masters Theses

This thesis presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a lightweight end-to-end cryptographic framework integrated with a semantic quality-of-service classification system for augmented reality based telesurgery. Telesurgery can deliver expert surgical care to underserved populations, but adoption has been limited by unresolved cybersecurity, network performance, and resilience challenges. The core tension is that strong encryption adds latency that may exceed the clinical safety threshold, while unencrypted systems remain vulnerable to attacks that could endanger patients during live procedures.

The framework addresses this tension through a dual-edge security middlebox that performs per-flow encryption using semantically selected ciphers: AES-128-GCM for latency-critical haptic …

Challenges Early Childhood Educators Encounter When Balancing Play-Based Learning With Preparation For Standardized Testing, Shanette Damar Mcbride

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study was that emphasis is being placed on standardized testing, which is causing early childhood educators to feel pressured to eliminate or reduce playtime in their classrooms. Framed by Vygotsky’s theory of social development and Lave and Wenger’s situated learning framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of early childhood educators in a southcentral U.S. state regarding the challenges they face in balancing a play-based learning curriculum and the support they need, while emphasizing information about standardized testing. The data were collected from semistructured interviews with 12 certified kindergarten …

Strategies For Reducing Employee Turnover In Retail Business, Mia Bulger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Strategies for Reducing Employee Turnover in Retail Business by Mia S. Bulger MS, University of Phoenix, 2022 BS, Clark Atlanta University, 2005 Qualitative Pragmatic Inquiry Business Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University August 2026

The Existential Ambiguity Of Authentic Love In Alice Diop's Saint Omer, Kelli Fuery

CCI Articles and Research

Using Simone de Beauvoir's and Frantz Fanon's existentialist phenomenology, this article examines an existentialist ethics of recognition as an act of authentic love in Alice Diop's Saint Omer (2022). Loosely based on a true story, Saint Omer tells a story of filicide: Laurence Coly leaves her baby on a beach to die and we follow the subsequent courtroom drama as it unfolds. The film also follows Rama, a literature professor intending to write up the case as a contemporary version of the Medea myth. I suggest Saint Omer presents an ethics of recognition in its avoidance of the superficial question …

Orval Filbeck Collection, 1897-2001, James Orval Filbeck

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Strategies For Managing Change In Home Health Care Businesses, Halbert Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Home health care agencies may experience financial hardship when regulatory inspections result in deficiencies and administrative penalties. Home health company (HHC) leaders are concerned because ineffective change management strategies may contribute to ongoing regulatory deficiencies, penalties, and reduced business performance. Grounded in Lewin’s change management theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to explore change management strategies some HHC owners successfully implemented to reduce administrative deficiencies and penalties to augment business performance and profitability. The participants were six leaders from HHC firms in the southwestern region of the United States who had developed effective strategies to improve …

Mexican Women Caregivers’ Support For Family Members With Type 2 Diabetes, Andrea Mesa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a persistent public health challenge in the United States, disproportionately affecting Hispanic populations. Mexican-origin women often serve as primary caregivers for relatives living with diabetes, yet their voices and lived experiences remain underrepresented in research. This study addressed the limited understanding of how cultural values and caregiving roles influence diabetes management within Hispanic families. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Mexican-origin women aged 40 to 60 who care for a family member with T2D. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory, the study …

The Effect Of Aerobic Exercise On Cognitive Function In Individuals With Alzheimer’S Disease, Brianna Pawlowski

Doctorate in Kinesiology

This study investigated the impact of aerobic exercise on cognitive function, anxiety and depression in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Using a quasi – experimental design, the data were collected from 11 participants from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in an assisted living nursing home with mild to early – stage Alzheimer’s disease. This study was conducted over a 15 – week period. The experimental group (n=7) participated in 150 – minutes per week of chair fitness or cardio dancing while. The control group (n=4) maintained their usual daily routines. Cognitive function was tested using a Montreal Cognitive Assessment at the baseline and post …

Biochemical And Histological Assessment Of Oral Wound Healing Using Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles-Hyaluronic Acid Composite Gel In Rat Models, Shahida Rasoul Husain, Amal Hanna Aziz, Treefa Farouq Ismail

Baghdad Science Journal

Oral wound healing is a complex biological process involving coordinated inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases. Recent advances in nanotechnology and biomaterials have highlighted the potential of composite formulations to enhance tissue repair. This study aimed to evaluate the biochemical and histological effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and hyaluronic acid (HA) composite gel on oral wound healing in rat models. Green-synthesized ZnO NPs, prepared using Cinnamomum zeylanicum extract, were gradually incorporated into methylcellulose (MC) and commercially available HA gels. The physicochemical characterization of the composite gel was assessed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy …

Dung Removal And Tunneling Contributions: Ecomorphological Traits And Functional Performance Of Onthophagus Gazella And Onthophagus Ramosellus, Takhmina Nazir, Mubashar Hussain

Baghdad Science Journal

Dung beetles perform various functions in ecosystems, such as nutrient cycling, aeration of soil, and dung burial activities that increase soil properties. Genus Onthophagus is well known for its role in dung removal and decomposition. We appraised the role of Onthophagus ramosellus and Onthophagus gazella in dung removal under field conditions. Species-specific functional features like body size and dry body weight associate these dung beetle species with tunneling depth and dung removal. We installed mesocosms (18 cm height and 12 cm diameter) at three sites in district Gujrat, i.e., Chak, Chopala, and Kot Mir Hussain. Treatment groups used in the …

Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Modified Carbon Paste Electrode For Redox Process Application, Emad Salaam Abood

Baghdad Science Journal

TiO₂-NPs were synthesized by the SolGel procedure and characterised using a mixture of graphite powder and paraffin oil to create a homogeneous black-sensitive Titanium dioxide nanoparticle carbon paste electrode (TiO₂-NPs-CPE). The best conductivity was studied by using a variety of mixture ratios, 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30, and the results refer to 50:50 as the best TiO₂: graphite mixture ratio. The Redox processes were applied by Potentiostat cyclic voltammetry to mutate the trace current by electron migration. Scan rate, temperature and pH conditions studied and the result recorded (0.1 vs^–1, [288-308] K and …

Engineering For Compromise, Ron Ross

Other Faculty Materials

Modern systems cannot credibly depend on every component, account, service, person, supplier, and supporting dependency remaining trustworthy secure throughout the system life cycle. Prevention-centered cybersecurity remains essential, but for mission-critical systems it is not a sufficient engineering strategy. This paper introduces the concept of Engineering for Compromise (EfC), a systems security engineering strategy that deliberately assumes selected system elements may fail, become malicious, lose integrity, or fall under adversary control and then asks whether the system can continue to prevent unacceptable loss. EfC separates component compromise, system compromise, and mission loss as distinct events and uses architecture to place barriers …

The Cul-De-Sac Paradox: The Relationship Between Walkability, Playability, And Children’S Physical Activity, Lydia Reader

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Walkability and playability are two constructs on how the built environment can support physical activity, the former most relevant to adults and the latter designed with children in mind. There are concerns that walkability and playability are intrinsically in competition with one another, with urban forms supportive of physical activity for adults detrimental toward the physical activity of children and vice versa. This thesis explores this conflict using agent-based modeling as a tool for refining the theoretical constructs behind playability and children’s physical activity. We examine the state of the current evidence for the relationship between walkability and children’s physical …

Design And Characterization Of A 3d-Printed Dual Stacked Patch Antenna With Tunable Coupling For Uav Applications, Isabelle Lynn Brigman

Masters Theses

Antennas are a critical component of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication systems where compact size, light weight, and reliable operation across multiple frequency bands are critical. While microstrip patch antennas are attractive for UAV applications due to their low profile, low cost, and ease of fabrication, they are often limited by narrow bandwidth and fixed-frequency operation. To address these limitations, this thesis investigates a mechanically and electrically reconfigurable dual-stacked patch antenna fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques.

The proposed antenna consists of a slotted driven patch operating near 2.5 GHz with a second resonant mode near 5 GHz. A parasitic patch …

Openness To Experience And Creative Capacity Among Active First Responders, William Reagan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because emergency services demand adaptive, creative problem-solving within procedurally rigid cultures, this study examined whether Openness to Experience predicted creative capacity among active first responders and whether age or tenure moderated that relationship. A cross-sectional design used N = 117 first responders from eight agencies. Openness was measured with the Big Five Inventory-2 (percentile ranks); creativity was assessed with the Divergent Association Task (DAT; n = 116) and the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT; n = 111). Covariates were age, tenure, rank, gender, and, for 46 participants at one agency, a dispatch-derived operational exposure score. In the full sample, Openness did …

Staff Education To Improve Behavioral Health Integration In Primary Care, Nelly Endah Atu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This staff education project addressed a persistent gap in the delivery of integrated physical and mental healthcare for patients with co-occurring conditions. Fragmented care in primary care contributes to untreated mental health needs, increased patient distress, higher costs, and poor outcomes. The aim of this project was to develop, deliver, and evaluate a staff education program equipping nurses, nurse practitioners, and interdisciplinary team members with the knowledge, skills, and practical strategies needed to improve behavioral health integration in primary care. The practice question was, among interdisciplinary staff in a community health setting, did the implementation of an evidence-based, ADDIE-designed staff …

Lived Experiences And Competencies Of Mental Health Professionals Supporting Postpartum Mothers’ Mental Health And Well-Being, Shaynie Wolski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and postpartum psychosis, affect postpartum individuals and their families. Limited research has examined the lived experiences and competencies of licensed mental health professionals who address PMADs, potentially limiting counselor educators’ ability to prepare counselors for postpartum mental health needs. Guided by hermeneutic phenomenology and informed by Ecological Systems Theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to answer the guiding question: What are the lived experiences of licensed mental health professionals in recognizing, assessing, and treating PMADs among postpartum clients? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight …

Staff Education To Implementation Of Fall Prevention Education To Improve Fall Prevention Knowledge Among Nurses And Cnas In A Nursing Home, Margret Nkechi Anabaronye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project was a staff education initiative designed to enhance fall-prevention knowledge among nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in a nursing home setting. The practice problem addressed was the high incidence of patient falls among older adults, which is a persistent safety concern in caregiving facilities since it leads to injury, decreased quality of life, and heightened healthcare costs. The project aimed to determine whether implementing a fall-prevention educational initiative would enhance staff knowledge and confidence levels on fall prevention. Analytical strategies used in this project included quantitative pre- and posttests and descriptive statistics to measure changes in participants’ …

Star Anise's Shield: How Illicium Verum Protects Dna From Oxidative Damage: An Integrated Experimental And Computational Study, Rafeef Amer Abdul-Jabar, Sabaa Ali Mohammed Al. Fadal, Anwar H. Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

Illicium verum, a star anise evergreen tree, is of great ethnopharmacological, medicinal, and biological interest. Objective: To develop an aqueous extract from its fruits and to evaluate its antioxidant potential, particularly in terms of DNA protection. The extraction method was straightforward; total phenolics (123 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (51.3 mg QE/g) were quantified, and antioxidant (DPPH radical scavenging and iron (III) reducing) properties determined. The total antioxidant capacity (TAE) of the extract was estimated, and its protectiveness on human genomic DNA was examined. In addition, an in silico computer docking simulation was conducted to describe the molecular interactions of …

Unfolding Dynamics Of Distractor Suppression Through Reaching Movement Trajectories, Shinhae Ahn

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Efficient visual search requires prioritizing relevant information while suppressing salient but irrelevant distractors that compete for attention. Previous studies have shown that attentional suppression of salient distractors can be modulated by perceptual grouping (Ma & Abrams, 2023) and distractor salience (Stilwell et al., 2023; 2024). However, prior work has relied primarily on discrete keypress or oculomotor measures, such as reaction time, accuracy, and first saccadic destination. Although these measures provide important evidence about whether distractors interfere with or are suppressed during visual search, it still remains unclear how distractor-induced spatial biases emerge and change over the course of the target …

Racial Trauma And Posttraumatic Growth: Implications For Counselors, Margaret M. Poandl, Nowoola Awopetu, Paul C. Harris Dr.

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Racial trauma is ubiquitous among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and people who belong to other marginalized groups. It is likely that counselors will work with individuals who have experienced racial trauma. Aligned with the counseling profession’s values, counselors can take a strengths-based approach that incorporates facilitation of a historical trauma posttraumatic growth (HT-PTG) framework. This paper presents evidence-informed practices that can foster growth on individual and collective levels. A case example is provided that integrates individual- and collective-level interventions bidirectionally, along with implications for counselor training pedagogically, through supervision, and continuing education. Counselors can identify, encourage, and …

The Safe Fishbowl Model: Psychological Safety By Design In Counseling Skills Training, Mike Mariska

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Skills training in counselor education can be constrained by performance anxiety, which may reduce participation, limit deliberate practice repetitions, and shift demonstrations to the instructor. This applied-practice manuscript introduces the SAFE (Structured Avatar and Feedback Experience) Fishbowl model, a simulation architecture designed to address performance anxiety while scaling participation. SAFE Fishbowl integrates rotating counselor roles, a real-time coaching loop, structured observation grounded in experiential learning theory, and purposeful debriefing. An implementation example for group counseling leadership skills is provided, along with adaptation guidance across multiple skill domains and delivery modalities. Descriptive course-evaluation feedback illustrates feasibility and perceived usefulness. Implications include …

Integrating Consensual Non-Monogamy In Counselor Education: Practical Guidelines And A Pilot Descriptive Study, Yun-Zhuo (Zoey) Liu, Lena Salpietro

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) is a prevalent and diverse relationship structure, yet mononormative assumptions persist in counselor training and practice, contributing to stigma and inadequate care. Research indicates that counselors’ CNM-specific knowledge and attitudes are critical to positive therapeutic outcomes (Schechinger et al., 2018), highlighting the need for clear guidance. In response, this paper presents Guidelines for Incorporating CNM in Counseling Curricula. Three domains are grounded in multicultural and social justice principles: foundational knowledge and terminology, challenging bias and promoting self-reflection, and application informed by attachment theory. Additionally, findings from a survey of counselor educators (N = 54) are presented. Results …

U.S. Service Member To Counseling Student, Nicole Marie Arcuri Sanders, Kellie Forziat-Pytel

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This qualitative descriptive study examines the absence of military career pathways for licensed mental health counselors (MHCs) and the impact of this structural limitation on service members' career transitions. Findings indicate that both combat and non-combat veterans pursued mental health counseling due to personal service-related mental health experiences and dissatisfaction with available care while in service. Despite these challenges, many participants expressed a strong desire to continue serving their country as professional counselors. Over half of the participants reported separating from the military because no occupational role existed for licensed MHCs. At the same time, most indicated they would have …

Management Of Advanced Periodontal Disease In A Patient With Down Syndrome-A Case Report, Robert T. Verceles

Oral Health

Down Syndrome is a common developmental disability.  Patients with DS may have many co-morbities associated with the condition, which include cardiac abrnormalities and severe periodontal disease.  This case illustrates how a patient with advanced periodontitis was treated in the Special Care Clinic at UOP, Dugoni School of Dentistry.