Digital Commons Network^™

The Adaptation And Translation Of A Transition Readiness Scale For Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Antonio F Pagán, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Autistic young adults often face significant challenges during the transition to adulthood, yet few tools exist to assess their readiness in a developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive manner. This study presents the development and initial validation of the Transition Readiness Scale for Autistic Adolescents and Adults (TRS-A), a brief caregiver- and self-report measure designed to assess key domains of transition readiness. Guided by qualitative input from Latino families, community stakeholders, and clinicians, the TRS-A was piloted with 114 autistic young adults, 66 Spanish-speaking parents, and 48 English-speaking parents. Psychometric analyses supported the scale's internal consistency and construct validity, mirroring the …

Timing Of Nodal Metastasis In Patients With Eyelid Sebaceous Carcinoma And Implications For Surveillance And Survival, Tracy Lu, Casey Anthony, Xinyang Jiang, Jing Ning, Ryan Goepfert, Bita Esmaeli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/aims: Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is a rare cancer with periocular predilection. Studies focused on patterns and timing of nodal metastasis are scarce.Our aim is to report patterns of regional nodal metastasis in patients with eyelid SC, including results of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB).

Methods: All consecutive patients with eyelid SC treated during 1999-2023 were retrospectively reviewed.All subjects had standard of care surgery for eyelid SC and regional lymph node evaluation using physical examination and ultrasonography (US) at baseline and during the surveillance period. 38 patients with negative findings on US had SLNB to rule out microscopic metastasis.The frequency and …

Unpacking Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Elements: Insights Into Drivers Of Entrepreneurial Activity, Mohamed Yacine Haddoud, Samah Souleh, Omaima Munawar Albadry, Saeyeon Roh, Adah Kole Emmanuel Onjewu

Plymouth Business School

Thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) are instrumental in new enterprise creation and growth, as they provide vital support for entrepreneurial activity. However, as this support may be context-specific, the existing literature has yet to capture the contextual factors that shape the contributions of EEs. To address this inertia, a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) is employed, which examines the influence of ecosystem factors on new venture development in two key MENA countries, namely Algeria and Saudi Arabia. The findings indicate that physical, commercial, and legal infrastructure are important factors for EEs in both countries. Nevertheless, there are intriguing differences in the …

Immersed In The Fantastical: Creating Timeless Fantasy Realms And Stories, Kirk Kraft

Masters Theses

The first section of the thesis, my artist statement, discusses my purpose as a writer, what drives me to improve, how I hope to create lasting stories that will outlive me and how this will contribute to becoming a Christian scholar. The introduction will include when I discovered my love for writing and what inspired me to become a storyteller. I’ll briefly discuss my writing process, ideas, imagination and the power of feedback. The discussion will move to my desire to create memorable stories with staying power, similar to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, deep diving into my …

A Tragedy And A Miracle: Trauma Medicine During The U.S. Civil War, Maxwell Bailey

Masters Theses

The Civil War, in many ways, hangs in the balance between the modern and premodern, with some historians calling it the first modern war, and others calling it the last pre-modern war. This historical dilemma extends to battlefield trauma care, where the modern and the archaic exist hand in hand. While the Civil War did not represent the birth of modern trauma care, it is certainly where modern American trauma care was conceived. The advancements in the medical field during this time prepared the way for germ theory to truly develop trauma care into a modern medical science. The groundwork …

Type Of Intimate Partner Violence And Association With Perpetrator Demographics, Katrisha Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern because of its long-term impact on health and well-being with 1 in 4 American women experiencing some form of IPV. To help understand how age, gender, and race of both, the perpetrator and victim, impact the type of IPV, multiple regression analysis was performed with secondary data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey (N=541). This study used Raewyn Connell’s Theory of Masculinity as a conceptual framework. This theory states that males have a need to show dominance, strength, and suppress emotion, which can inform patterns of violence in …

Nutrition, Physical Activity, Faith, And C-Reactive Protein As Predictors Of Depression In A Large Prospective Sample, Rebecca L. Banning

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Depression is an increasingly common mental health concern and has been linked to both lifestyle factors and biological markers of inflammation. This study examined whether physical activity, dietary patterns, and religiosity/spirituality (R/S) predicted depression symptoms through their associations with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a widely used biomarker of inflammation. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, participants were assessed at Wave II (ages 12–20) and Wave IV (ages 24–32). Predictors included self-reported physical activity, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory diet composites, and R/S engagement. Outcomes included concurrent and prospective depression symptoms, as well as hs-CRP concentrations. Results …

If We Must, We Must: A Better Way To Utilize Placement Exams, Samantha Bravo

Masters Theses (Archived)

College placement exams have been part of a student’s continuing education journey for many years. In a state like Texas, who has had a very extensive and dynamic history in regard to education assessment, students wishing to enter into college must take a state specific college placement exam. Is this state specific placement instrument helping its students? Texas pioneered a shift to a college and career ready focused state curriculum, so does this focused curriculum prepare students for the state college placement exam? How can this potentially be used in a way that can better serve its students? By analyzing …

Expanding The Role Of Embodiment And Teacher Noticing In Units Coordination And Construction, Claudia Bertolone-Smith, Jonathan Troup, Liza Bondurant, Diana Moss, Hortensia Soto

Publications

We aim to expand units coordination and construction assessment by examining the significance of embodiment and teacher noticing, especially in relation to recent developments in equitable mathematics teacher noticing research. We outline our approach as mathematics teacher educators with a wide range of expertise, wherein we investigated how prospective elementary mathematics teachers (PTs) notice students' units construction and coordination through embodied actions and the impact of incorporating a focus on embodiment in assessment. We also address how expanding the understanding of units coordination and construction assessment through embodied noticings can create more equitable classroom spaces. The study emphasizes the need …

Single-Step Conversion Of Metal Impurities In Cnts To Electroactive Metallic Nitride Nanoclusters For Electrochemical Co2 Reduction, Ahmed Badreldin, John Pellessier, Francisco Alejandro Ospina Acevedo, Siyuan Fang, Carter Racine, Jin Feng, Alvin Chang, Yulu Ge, Yang Gang, Shengyao Wang, Xiaokun Yang, Sergei Ivanov, Zhenxing Feng, Yun Hang Hu, Perla B. Balbuena, Ying Li

Michigan Tech Publications

A novel single-step low-temperature pyrolysis method is developed to efficiently remove encapsulated Ni nanoparticles (NPs, 10–50 nm) from both regular-grade (< 5 wt.% metal impurities) and industrial-grade (< 10 wt.% metal impurities) carbon nanotubes (CNTs). This approach eliminates the need for conventional multi-step purification processes, which often involve high-temperature corrosive gas oxidation and acid washing. The new strategy transforms and redistributes encapsulated Ni-NPs into homogeneously sized nanoclusters (NCs, ≈1 nm) that are evenly dispersed on the surface of CNTs. Surface and bulk sensitive spectroscopic analyses reveal the predominant formation of Ni3N-NCs, along with some metallic Ni-NCs. The treated materials demonstrate exceptional electroactivity toward CO2 reduction to CO, with the best-performing CNT-PTFE-Mel-650 sample achieving an ultra-low onset overpotential of −19 mV and 98% CO selectivity in a current density range of 100–700 mA cm⁻². This NC catalyst demonstrates 25% lower voltage at 700 mA cm⁻² compared to the single atom catalyst (SAC) control. Experimentally verified ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) models are simulated, and subsequent density functional theory (DFT) calculations further support the thermodynamic stability of Ni3N-NCs and their favorability for CO2 reduction. This work establishes a new method for creating ligand-free electroactive NCs for efficient electrochemical reactions.

Unburden The Pastoral Chair To Create A More Effective Minister, William Travis Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explores how to alleviate the burden on senior pastors to create more effective ministers. This research aims to explore the implications of the pastoral chair’s duties and responsibilities and focuses on how the church community can support the senior pastor through encouragement and awareness of the importance of maintaining the pastoral chair’s mental, emotional, and professional health. This research features a comprehensive literature review on the current state of senior pastors’ professional health and the impact that overwhelming duties and responsibilities impose on their professional confidence, ministry, and overall sense of productivity and accomplishment in providing pastoral services …

An Investigation Of Mental Well-Being Of Music Ensemble Participants At Eastern Arizona College: A Case Study, Geoffrey D. Despain

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of collegiate music ensemble students with mental illness and if music ensemble participation helped them cope. Students have indicated that participating in a music ensemble or listening to music has helped them cope with perceived or diagnosed mental illness such as depression and anxiety. Music students at Eastern Arizona College (EAC), a rural community college in Thatcher, Arizona, expressed their mental health struggles with band and choir directors. Some students have sought help through the counseling department. Many students do not seek help in any form. This qualitative …

Adult Romantic Attachment Styles, Attachment To God And Recidivism Risk Among Adult Male Sexual Offenders, Mary Crystal Wring

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the possible relationship between attachment to adult romantic partners and attachment to God style and sexual/violent recidivism risk scores. The study, also, sought to understand the lived experiences of adult male sexual offenders in relation to their family of origin, romantic partners, and with the Christian God. Participants (N=38) completed self-report questionnaires on their attachment styles to adult romantic partners (ECR-R) and to God (AGI). These scores were analyzed using chi-squared test of independence and multiple linear regression with scores of sexual/violent recidivism risk assessments performed by their probation or corrections officers (STATIC 99R, CPORT). This study …

The Effect Of An Educational Intervention On Pre-Licensure Nursing Students Using The Theory Of Cultural Humility, Margaret Curry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American population has become more racially and ethnically diverse. Pre-licensure nursing students must have the knowledge, skill, and attitude to meet the needs of this diverse patient population. The purpose of this study was to educate pre-licensure nursing students on the concept of cultural humility using standardized patients from diverse cultural backgrounds in simulation experiences. The 27 students in this study were enrolled in a traditional nursing program in the southern U.S. This one-group quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design used Foronda’s Cultural Humility Scale. These students completed this scale (pretest), participated in simulation experiences with standardized patients from diverse cultural backgrounds, …

The Teaching Motivation Of Filipino Educators In English-Speaking International Schools In Japan: A Transcendental Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Gloria Jean Whitaker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenology study was to examine the job motivation of Filipino educators in English-speaking international schools in Japan. Filipinos represent the third largest group among nationalities seeking employment overseas. This study was guided by Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, which focuses on motivation and three basic human psychological needs for optimum well-being: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The qualitative transcendental phenomenological approach was used to gather information from participants about their motivation while teaching at English-speaking international schools in Japan. The central research question addressed was, “How do Filipino teachers in English-speaking international schools in Japan …

The Relationship Between Attitude Toward Suicide And Related Sociodemographic Factors That Influence The Use Of Mental Health Resources Among Undergraduate College Students: A Predictive Correlational Study, Floydena S. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, predictive, correlational research study was to identify the relationship between attitude toward willingness to intervene against suicide scores and the linear combination of sex and age among undergraduate students. Higher education institutions must now determine if these sociodemographic variables prompted undergraduate college students to seek out interventions and use mental health services in case of suicide. The target undergraduate population included 93 full-time students between the ages of 18-45 from a postsecondary institution. A convenience sample was used to obtain 93 students, but only 80 participants in the study completed the survey in its entirety. …

Iowa Test Scores Before And After Covid-19 In Early Adolescents, Carmel F. W. Ontoy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper addresses past research that examined the effects of COVID-19 on academics and presents a study further examining an area of academics before and after COVID-19. Research relating to COVID-19 has varied, studying correlations and effects on factors such as mental health and relationships. Researchers and educators projected various degrees of learning loss, and while some studies have revealed some loss, others have revealed little to no change. Further research is needed to continue developing researchers’ and educators’ understanding of how COVID-19 and the shift to online learning may have been related to learning and academics of young adolescents. …

A Phenomenological Study Understanding Religious And Spiritual Coping In African American Female Veterans Who Experienced Combat-Related Trauma, Dawn Raini Long

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African American females are drawn to pursue a military career for many reasons, including upholding a family tradition, securing funding for education, or simply due to the stability it offered in a challenging economic climate. This study depicted narratives of battlefield-induced psychological stress arising from the convergence of military culture intersectionality, posttraumatic stress, and the transition to civilian life. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the religious or spiritual coping of African American female veterans who experienced combat-related trauma in the military. The participants were interviewed at Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) and Veterans Bridge Home. …

Exploring The Influence Of Early Life Attachment And Faith On Resilience And Independence In Emerging Adulthood: The Role Of Childhood Loss, Moriah E. Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The transition to emerging adulthood is a period of change that is shaped by early attachment. Previous literature has established that attachment security influences functioning later in life, including both resilience and independence. Additionally, faith is often associated with positive outcomes. However, limited research has examined how these constructs relate to one another in emerging adulthood. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore how faith moderates the relationship between early life attachment and both resilience and independence in emerging adults. The study employed self-report surveys to measure attachment, resilience, independence, and faith in a sample of 70 …

Impacts Of Positive Childhood Experiences That Foster Resilience In Adults With Childhood Trauma A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer J. Ruiz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In today’s rapidly evolving environment, adolescents face increasingly complex challenges to their health and well-being. A significant contributor to these challenges is exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which have been linked to long-term negative outcomes in physical, emotional, and psychological health. The pervasive impact of ACEs highlights the urgent need to explore protective mechanisms that can buffer against these adverse effects. Positive childhood experiences (PCEs) have emerged as a promising counterbalance, offering supportive and nurturing conditions that enhance resilience and promote healthier developmental trajectories. This qualitative case study explored the specific types of PCEs that foster resilience in individuals …

Understanding The Willingness Of Christian Ethnic Minority Student-Athletes To Seek On-Campus Mental Health Services: A Mixed Methods Approach, Benael J. John-Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Romans 12:1 tells Christians that their unique physical abilities are gifts from God that should be used to honor Him (New International Version Bible, 1978/2011). Christian racial/ethnic minority student-athletes (CMSAs) often navigate complex intersections of spirituality, identity, and stigma in relation to mental health. Despite growing research in biopsychosocial-spiritual (BPSS) models, CMSAs remain underrepresented in mental health literature. This mixed-methods study explored the willingness of CMSAs to seek on-campus mental health services at a public university in the Southwestern United States. Data was collected through a web-based survey (N = 20) and semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants (N …

Using Statistical Modeling To Help Improve The Work Environment For Nurses, Malcolm S. Demery

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aims to investigate if statistical modeling can help to improve the nurse’s work environment by identifying and solving basic workplace stresses. The major problem addressed is the stressful situation of burnout and high turnover levels for nurses, which affects the patient and the quality of care. Therefore, this research is important since it can enhance nurse job satisfaction and retention which subsequently can result in better healthcare outcomes, lower operational costs, and better patient safety. The central research questions guiding this study are: (1) How can statistical modeling aid in the discovery and correction of underlying factors that …

Keep The Family Close: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study On Family Support And Successful Re-Entry, Kerry Lynn Shipman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to understand successful reintegration with positive family support for formerly incarcerated African American men in a major metropolitan city in North Carolina. Individuals released from prison face challenges that result in the likelihood of recidivism. Previous studies regarding these individuals have focused on the requirements for their successful re-entry into society, including financial stability, housing, employment, and family support; however, there is a need to understand what forms of support are needed from families. The theory guiding the current study is the social support theory, as it explains that support from communities, …

Predicting Success On The National Physical Therapy Examination For Graduates Of A Physical Therapist Assistant Program: A Correlational, Logistic Regression Study, Wendy Renee Powers Mcnall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, predictive, correlational study was to assess if practice examinations and self-efficacy influence first-attempt passing scores on the National Physical Therapist Examination for physical therapist assistants. This study is important because, upon graduation from an accredited program, graduates must pass a rigorous national examination to obtain licensure to practice. Concurrently, accreditation standards require physical therapist assistant programs to maintain licensure examination pass rates of 85% for program graduates. With the high-stakes examination affecting the future of graduates and program accreditation status, effective preparation and assessment tools mutually benefit stakeholders. The study utilized binomial logistic regression to …

Subject Area Teachers' Perceptions Of The Influence Of Reading Instruction On Middle School Reading Skill Development: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Rachel Guiel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This discovery of subject area teachers' perceptions of the influence of reading instruction and reading skill development on middle school students' reading comprehension is the theme of this phenomenological study. A subject area teacher was defined as someone who teaches history, science, math, and Bible classes. Middle school students were defined as six, seventh, and eighth-grade students. Reading skill development was defined as vocabulary instruction, background knowledge, and the implementation of flexible reading groups. The theory guiding this study is Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory, as it describes learning coming before language development, language being the main tool of thought, and …

Using Simulation To Teach Students Transferable Skills For Paramedic Educators In A Prehospital Clinical Setting In Urban Georgia: A Phenomenology, George Antonio Rouse

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of using simulation to teach students transferable skills for paramedic educators in a prehospital clinical setting in urban Georgia. The theory guiding this study is Kolb’s experiential learning theory as it supports the use of low and high-fidelity simulation to provide students with interactive and realistic learning experiences that are transformative in nature. The central research question guiding this study was: What is the lived experience of paramedic educators using simulation to teach students transferable skills? Data was collected via qualitative surveys, individual interviews, and focus groups …

The Relationships Among Sleep Patterns, Memory, And Attention In School-Aged Children, Ryan Ta'shawna Blount

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explores the intricate relationships among sleep patterns, memory, and attention in school-aged children. Sleep is important for cognitive development, with studies suggesting that both quantity and quality of sleep significantly influence memory consolidation and attentional processes. Research indicates that insufficient or disrupted sleep can lead to deficits in working memory and sustained attention, negatively impacting academic performance and overall cognitive functioning. There is a lack of comprehensive studies that investigate how sleep disruptions impact both memory and attention during childhood. This study seeks to fill that gap by investigating the relationships among sleep, memory, and attention in school-aged …

Spiritual Fitness And Religious Commitment As Predictors Of Hope In Active Duty Deployed Military, David Sidnam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine how spiritual fitness and religious commitment are related to hope in deployed military personnel. Furthermore, the individual components of spiritual fitness (connection to God, belief in service, and purposeful meaning) were examined alongside religious commitment to determine the strongest predictor of hope for deployed military members. The study included 111 deployed, active duty members that were recruited from three deployed sites in the military. The data was assessed in SPSS and revealed that belief in service and purposeful meaning were significantly related to hope. Purposeful meaning was the strongest predictor …

The Relationship Of Worship Drumming On Christian Spiritual Well-Being: A Qualitative Case Study, Micah Joseph Holland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to bridge the knowledge gap and discover the relationship between worship drumming and Christian spiritual well-being. It also examined the spiritual disciplines developed from worship drumming that impact Christian spiritual well-being. The theory guiding this study was the religious attribution theory, as it is used to describe how people use religious explanations to understand events that cannot be explained by natural causes. The theoretical framework that falls under the religious attribution theory was the Feedback Loop Model for Religious Worship Experiences, which showed the dynamic of how music and the environment can provoke …

The Impact Of Stress Reduction Programs In Reducing Anxiety And Depression In Pregnant Military Spouses With Disabilities, Faith Clemons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pregnant military spouses with disabilities have high levels of anxiety and depression, as these individuals are more exposed to stress due to various health risks and worries during deployments. Health care experiences of pregnant military spouses who are disabled are explored through interviews and surveys to determine if appropriate services reduce anxiety and depression and help with stress. The study encompasses qualitative design, interviewing with eight participants from the Clarksville, Tennessee area, known for its many military families near Fort Campbell. The study targets evidence-based therapies through theoretical frameworks of attachment, social support and stress and coping theory such as …