Digital Commons Network^™

Long-Term Cardiovascular Outcomes Of Covid-19, Yan Xie, Evan Xu, Benjamin Bowe, Ziyad Al-Aly

Open Access Publications

The cardiovascular complications of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are well described, but the post-acute cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 have not yet been comprehensively characterized. Here we used national healthcare databases from the US Department of Veterans Affairs to build a cohort of 153,760 individuals with COVID-19, as well as two sets of control cohorts with 5,637,647 (contemporary controls) and 5,859,411 (historical controls) individuals, to estimate risks and 1-year burdens of a set of pre-specified incident cardiovascular outcomes. We show that, beyond the first 30 d after infection, individuals with COVID-19 are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease spanning …

Evaluation Of Hiv Treatment Outcomes With Reduced Frequency Of Clinical Encounters And Antiretroviral Treatment Refills: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Noelle Le Tourneau, Ashley Germann, Ryan R. Thompson, Nathan Ford, Sheree Schwartz, Laura Beres, Aaloke Mody, Stefan Baral, Elvin H. Geng, Ingrid Eshun-Wilson

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Global HIV treatment programs have sought to lengthen the interval between clinical encounters for people living with HIV (PLWH) who are established on antiretroviral treatment (ART) to reduce the burden of seeking care and to decongest health facilities. The overall effect of reduced visit frequency on HIV treatment outcomes is however unknown. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of implementation strategies that reduce the frequency of clinical appointments and ART refills for PLWH established on ART.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We searched databases​ between 1 January 2010 and 9 November 2021 to identify randomized controlled …

School Breakfast And Student Behavior, Andres Cuadros-Menaca, Michael R. Thomsen, Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr.

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Faculty Publications and Presentations

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is one of the largest nutrition assistance programs serving school-aged children in the US. It provides reimbursement to states for the operation of breakfast programs in schools. Student participation in the SBP is, however, much lower than the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Because missing breakfast could result in hunger that could then influence children's interpersonal relations and classroom behavior (i.e., disciplinary infractions), some schools have implemented breakfast after the bell (BAB), which encompasses alternative breakfast delivery methods that make breakfast available to children after the school day commences. We use a difference-in-differences design with …

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion At New England Land Trusts: Report No. 1 Of Land Conservation And Inequality Series, Julie C. Keller, Blake Harrison, Corey Lang

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

With over 1,200 organizations registered with the Land Trust Alliance (LTA 2021), land trusts are often viewed as successful models of market-based solutions to environmental and social problems. Yet, the role of these organizations in making open space and farmland accessible to groups from marginalized backgrounds remains unclear. This report (No. 1) discusses findings from interviews conducted in 2021 with key experts at 15 land trusts in New England. The goal of the research was to understand organizational engagement with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values, with a special emphasis on how land trusts facilitate access to land for underrepresented …

An Optimization Model For Minimization Of Systemic Risk In Financial Portfolios, Zachary Alexander Gelber

Master's Theses

In this thesis, we study how sovereign credit default swaps are able to measure systemic risk as well as how they can be used to construct optimal portfolios to minimize risk. We define the clustering coefficient as a proxy for systemic risk and design an optimization problem with the goal of minimizing the mean absolute deviation of the clustering coefficient on a group of nine European countries. Additionally, we define a metric we call the diversity score that measures the diversification of any given portfolio. We solve this problem for a baseline set of parameters, then spend the remainder of …

Patterns Of Academic Help-Seeking In Undergraduate Computing Students, Augie Doebling

Master's Theses

Knowing when and how to seek academic help is crucial to the success of undergraduate computing students. While individual help-seeking resources have been studied, little is understood about the factors influencing students to use or avoid certain re- sources. Understanding students’ patterns of help-seeking can help identify factors contributing to utilization or avoidance of help resources by different groups, an important step toward improving the quality and accessibility of resources. We present a mixed-methods study investigating the help-seeking behavior of undergraduate computing students. We collected survey data (n = 138) about students’ frequency of using several resources followed by one-on-one …

Investigation Of Green Strawberry Detection Using R-Cnn With Various Architectures, Daniel W. Rivers

Master's Theses

Traditional image processing solutions have been applied in the past to detect and count strawberries. These methods typically involve feature extraction followed by object detection using one or more features. Some object detection problems can be ambiguous as to what features are relevant and the solutions to many problems are only fully realized when the modern approach has been applied and tested, such as deep learning.

In this work, we investigate the use of R-CNN for green strawberry detection. The object detection involves finding regions of interest (ROIs) in field images using the selective segmentation algorithm and inputting these regions …

Impact Of Teaching Practices And Communication Climates On Participation In Computer Science Education, Jackie Krone

Master's Theses

One way to understand teaching is to view it as a people process rather than a presentation of knowledge. It follows that the role of an educator often extends beyond the primary subject matter and into the realm of classroom management. With this in mind, our research aimed to capture the various teaching practices, participation patterns, and communication climates that occur in virtual computer science classrooms. We sought to answer the following research questions related to virtual computer science classrooms at our institution: Who participates in virtual computer science classrooms, and is participation proportional to student demographics? Is there any …

Determinant Of Repeat Revascularization Within 5 Years Of Percutaneous Coronary Lntervention At A Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi: A Matched Case-Control Study, Komal Valliani, Azmina Artani, Iqbal Azam, Javed Tai, M. Masood Kadir

Community Health Sciences

Objective: To determine factors associated with repeat revascularization among adults aged 25 years and above within 5 years of first Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) at a tertiary care hospital.
Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted through a hospital records review. A total of 90 cases with repeat revascularization and 180 controls without repeat revascularization were included. Data was analyzed using Multiple Conditional Logistic Regression.
Results: The mean age was similar in cases and controls (60.05 ± 10.01 vs 62.20 ± 10.43 years) and sex (male: 77.8% vs. 76.1%). History of being an ever-smoker (40% vs. 25%), overweight (36.3% vs. …

Gambling Opinions And Participation In Kentucky Versus The Other 49 States, Thomas E. Lambert

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Much has been written in the Kentucky press over the last few years about how the state is falling behind other states due to Kentucky’s absence of traditional casinos, sports gambling on the NFL, NCAA, etc., and other gambling forms. A major topic has been the potential tax revenues that would be collected if some forms of gambling are legalized in the state. Yet not much has been written about how Kentucky citizens differ from or are similar to citizens in other states with respect to opinions about gambling morality, gambling and spending preferences, and gambling policy. State laws are …

Preliminary Classification Of Selected Farmland Habitats In Ireland Using Deep Neural Networks, Lizy Abraham, Steven Davy, Muhammad Zawish, Rahul Mhapsekar, John A. Finn, Patrick Moran

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Ireland has a wide variety of farmlands that includes arable fields, grassland, hedgerows, streams, lakes, rivers, and native woodlands. Traditional methods of habitat identification rely on field surveys, which are resource intensive, therefore there is a strong need for digital methods to improve the speed and efficiency of identification and differentiation of farmland habitats. This is challenging because of the large number of subcategories having nearly indistinguishable features within the habitat classes. Heterogeneity among sites within the same habitat class is another problem. Therefore, this research work presents a preliminary technique for accurate farmland classification using stacked ensemble deep convolutional …

Volume 42, Number 1, March 2022 Olac Newsletter, Laura Kane Mcelfresh, Jan Mayo, Yoko Kudo, Jay Weitz, Lisa Romano

OLAC Newsletters

Digitized March 2022 issue of the OLAC Newsletter.

The Perfect Storm: Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, And Rural America, Bailey D. Barnes

Faculty Publications

Across the United States in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century, substance abuse and mental illness have clashed with the criminal justice system to produce inequitable and tragic results. The War on Drugs especially affects rural communities, where resources for rehabilitative services, mental health treatment, and transitional housing are scarce. In these areas, the significant strain on the criminal justice system caused by the frequent intersection of substance abuse and mental illness has wrought overcrowded correctional facilities, congested criminal court dockets, exhausted public defenders, and devastated families. This Article is a case study of one such rural community's experience …

Smu Launches Its First Skillsfuture Work-Study Degree To Meet Demand For Software Engineers, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) at the Singapore Management University will, from Academic Year 2022-2023 (which begins in August 2022), offer the University’s first work-study degree in software engineering to train a pipeline of talent with the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the demand for such talent.

(Wp 2022-03) Managing Contagion: Covid, Public Health, And Reflexive Behavior, John B. Davis

Economics Working Papers

This paper characterizes a pandemic as one kind of contagion, and defines a contagion as a two-level, two-direction, reflexive feedback loop system. In such a system, experts’ opinions can act as self-fulfilling prophecies that significantly influence social behavior. Also, when multiple experts produce multiple, expert opinions can fragment a society’s response to a pandemic worsening rather than ameliorating it. This paper models this with two competing expert opinions, associates them with club goods and common pool goods types of circumstances, and argues that to combat fragmentation of opinion a focus on public health public good provision needs to be framed …

An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study Of Phronetic Administrative Competencies In Experienced Student Ministry Practitioners, Tripp Atkinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While the impact of a healthy student ministry in the local church is culture-shaping and eternally significant, many churches are not experiencing success in this ministry area. Among the many challenges modern student ministry face, a high turnover rate and perceived lack of competence among student ministry professionals contribute to this lack of sustained fruitful ministry (Devries, 2008). In many cases, the lack of competence is a primary contributing factor to the turnover. While a number of studies have identified the necessity of student ministry professionals possessing sound administrative competencies in sustaining success, a significant gap in the literature exists, …

Discipleship And Leadership: The Correlation Between Discipleship And Servant, Transformational, And Shared Leadership In The Marketplace, Daniel E. Gifford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study explored the intersection of Christians in leadership positions who are not in full-time ministerial positions and the transformational nature of discipleship. It focused on determining if a correlation exists between a marketplace Christian leader’s involvement in a discipleship relationship and exhibiting characteristics of servant, transformational, or shared leadership in the marketplace. It did this by examining the concept of discipleship as currently practiced in today’s environment, comparing it with similar terms and practices prevalent in the literature, such as spiritual formation, mentoring, and coaching. It also reviewed three specific leadership styles, arguing that servant, transformational, and …

Connecting Youth To The Gospel: The Role Of Theology And Apologetics, John Wesley Sales Iv

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Connecting youth to the Gospel sounds like a basic undertaking. However, evidence shows students know very little about the Gospel. While they grow up in church and attend Sunday school, there is still a lack of desire from students to want to know who God is. There needs to be a path to teaching students the genuine and deep teachings of the Gospel. This topic is important because as students grow older, they may grow apart from what they learned in Sunday school. When they are challenged and distracted by the world, they need a strong anchor to keep them …

Implementation Critical Success Factors And Accounting Standard Codification Topic 606 Implementation Dynamics: A Correlational Study, Charles Tafon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined implementation critical success factors and ASC 606 implementation dynamics. The study argued organizational dynamics that strengthen change responsiveness, absorptive capability, and organizational implementation context enhance ASC 606 implementation outcomes. The study was a timely response to outcries from the accounting scholarly and professional communities on the disturbing state of inertia and lackadaisical approach towards ASC 606 implementation that could possibly jeopardize its application. The study investigated relationships between implementation critical success factors and ASC 606 implementation outcomes to gain insights into mechanisms most likely to cause a change in implementation outcomes. The study adopted the ex post …

Understanding Student Perspective Of Undergraduate Cybersecurity Programs And Experiences Across Christian Colleges And Universities, Brandon P. Grech

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of Christian colleges and universities that are offering cybersecurity four-year degrees is rising. The workforce is in dire need of cybersecurity professionals; however, has anybody asked the new cybersecurity professionals in the workforce how their recent academic experience prepared them for such a global need? Research is well-documented about what industry currently needs in cybersecurity professionals; however, this research focused on asking graduates what students need for the workforce. The purpose of this explorative qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the phenomena of the holistic experience (technical, nontechnical, and whole-person) strengths and shortcomings (if any) recent …

The Family Connection: Examining The Transitional Impact On Family Members Of Returning Citizens Reentering Society, Leon Rankins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to define and measure more extensively the personal barriers of family members of returning citizens recently released from incarceration in the United States. Also sought was examining the returning citizen's family members' perspectives of their issues relating to their loved ones in the reintegration process and how their challenges and barriers impacted their desire to provide transitional support to the returning citizen. The theory guiding this study is Bowen's family system theory as it suggests that individuals cannot be understood in isolation from one another, but rather as a part of their …

Current State Of Inclusion Education: A Cross-State Analysis Of Compliance, Teacher Certification, And Students With Disabilities Academic Outcomes, Emily Rose Winters

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) there has been a legal requirement to provide students with disabilities the most inclusive education possible (Winchell et al., 2018) while Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 requires that education be delivered by highly qualified teachers. Despite this, there have been minimal parameters set by the federal government in relation to inclusion education implementation or what constitutes a highly qualified teacher leading to significant variance in state inclusion education methods (Westling, 2019) and requirements for initial teaching certification or licensure (United States Department of Education, 2019; Youngs et al., 2003). …

Can A Lack Of Early Attachment To A Primary Caregiver Contribute To Aged-Out Kinship Foster Youth Sexual Employment?, Judith M. Malik

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study investigated the relationship between lack of early attachment with a primary caregiver and survival sex employment in aged-out kinship care youth. Literature has shown that multiple situations have occurred to AFCY. While in kinship care, youth may have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, inappropriate discipline, and exposure to domestic violence, homicide, and pornography. Of the estimated 250,000 children who exited kinship care in 2018, 49% were reunited with their natural parent or primary caretaker, 25% were adopted, 11% went to live with a guardian, 7% were aged out, 7% went to live with another relative, and 1% …

Substance Abuse's Impact On Public Accounting, William Dennis Holmes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A case study was performed to determine best practices for handling substance use disorder (SUD) when the problem occurs in business. SUD is a common problem that affects most businesses. The problem can result in high costs to businesses and is often difficult to navigate. The problem identified in the study was investigated by answering the primary research questions established in the planning stages of the study. An exhaustive literature review was performed on the topic, and common themes were discovered during a review of the literature. After the planning stage, the researcher performed a case study. Interviews of 23 …

The Effects Of Epistemic Beliefs On Undergraduate Students' Emotions And Attitudes Towards Genetically Modified Foods, David Andrew Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Much research has explored socio-scientific issues (SSIs) in science instruction, including the connections between conceptions and attitude. Studies have also shown that epistemic beliefs affect epistemic emotions, which are a key component of students’ reaction to complex scientific topics. Correcting misconceptions can also result in emotional and attitude change, particularly surrounding the topic of genetically modified foods (GMFs). However, the impact of epistemic beliefs on emotions and attitude towards GMFs has largely gone unexplored. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of epistemic beliefs on epistemic emotions and attitudes towards GMFs. This quantitative correlational study sampled 78 …

See Me: A Grounded Theory Study Of Aspiring Women Leaders In Student Affairs, Michele Anne Magliulo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a model for a career development program for entry-level student affairs (SA) women professionals based on the lived experiences of current mid-level SA professionals and senior-level SA professionals. As new women professionals pursue their careers in SA, they must navigate many barriers and require support and guidance to overcome each obstacle. This study sought to answer the following research questions: (a) What necessary components do student affairs departments need to retain entry-level women’s professionals related to a career development model? (b) What components are needed for an entry-level professional woman …

Social Desirability Bias, Ministry Hours Worked Per Week, And Marital Satisfaction: A Study Of Ministry Workers Living In The United States, Justin A. Geiger

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a difference in social desirability bias (SDB) and marital satisfaction (MS) among ministry workers living in the United States who work more than their stated hours per week and those who do not work more than their stated hours. After introducing the topic by looking at the problem, along with its background, theoretical framework, and significance, a literature review was conducted. This review examined the current body of research on MS, ministry workers, ministry hours, and SDB. The literature review found that the goal of the dissertation is significant …

Learning Loss In Passage Reading Fluency For Elementary Students During Covid-19 School Closure, David Neil Stone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused public schools across the United States to suddenly close and interrupt face-to-face instruction for all students for a sustained period of time. It remains uncertain the total effect of the prolonged closure on student learning. This study provides a historical research review of the effect of previous school closures, such as traditional summer breaks and explores the phenomenon of learning loss that occurs when instruction is paused. This causal-comparative study examined the effect on passage reading fluency and reading comprehension of fourth grade elementary students following an unprecedented 24-week disruption of …

An Exploratory Analysis Of Mindfulness And Work-Life Balance During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christine Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a need for change in both personal and professional lives; however, due to the abrupt newness of the virus, there has been limited research. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine mindfulness (via FFMQ), work-life balance (via WLB survey) and potential stressors among employees who have been affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. An exploratory analysis of how mindfulness and work-life balance has played a role in employees’ adaptation to working during a pandemic will be conducted. An in-depth literature analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between mindfulness …

An Examination Of Teachers’ Experiences With The Multi-Tiered System Of Support Process In A Middle School Setting, Martavious Kendrell Johnson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand teachers’ experiences when implementing the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support systemic framework in a middle school setting. The problem was teachers’ lack of emotional and tangible support from their schools when exerting time, energy, and resources necessary for successful implementation of the components of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. The theory that guided this study was Revans’ action learning theory (ALT), which consisted of four components: (a) problems, (b) clients, (c) self-advisors, and (d) processes. The central research question that guided this study was: what are the experiences …