Digital Commons Network^™

Rethinking Empowerment: Financial Self-Efficacy In First-Generation College Students, David Steadman

Masters Projects

Financial wellness difficulties have increasingly been found as a trend found amongst college students in research, as loans increase and student aid decreases, research is needed to understand new approaches to financial wellness and improving this problem within higher education. This project explores financial wellness and the need for wellness support amongst first-generation college students, as they continue to face unique wellness challenges in education at disparate rates. Specifically, it focuses on Financial Self-Efficacy (FSE) as a mediating factor of financial wellness, instead of a traditional focus on purely financial literacy. Grounded in Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, the First-Generation Financial …

Curriculum Accommodations, Modifications, And Differentiation Strategies: Equipping Teachers In Adapting Curriculum To Meet The Diverse Needs Of All Learners, Rachael Van Huis

Masters Projects

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) supports a free and appropriate public education for all students, yet many students with disabilities are not properly served in the K-12 public school setting. Teachers remain largely unequipped in providing appropriate educational experiences for students with complex learning needs, including the provision of academic accommodations and modifications. As a result, students with disabilities continue to be placed in segregated, alternative learning settings that hinder their academic progress, social connectedness, and ability to learn within their least restrictive environment alongside typically developing peers. This project aims to support both general and special education …

Evaluating Coplanar And Noncoplanar Treatment Plans For The Varian Halcyon And Varian Truebeam For Intact Prostate Patients., Ashley Coppage

Masters Projects

Prostate cancer is among the most treated malignancies with radiation therapy, where precise dose delivery is critical for tumor control and minimizing toxicity. VMAT is widely adopted due to its efficiency and conformity; however, the choice between coplanar and non-coplanar beam arrangements remains an area of ongoing investigation, especially with newer platforms like Halcyon and TrueBeam. This retrospective dosimetric study compares coplanar and non-coplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans for intact prostate cancer patients using the Varian Halcyon and Varian TrueBeam systems. Plans were created using a standardized protocol within Eclipse v16.1, with all Halcyon plans employing coplanar …

Impact Of Uncertainties On Structures Damage Tolerance Parameters, Breno De Bruns

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research aims to enhance the understanding and management of aerospace structural integrity. Traditional fracture control methods, such as damage tolerance analysis (DTA), assume deterministic factors, considering uncertainties inherent in material properties, inspections, and operational conditions only at the final stage by applying safety factors. This research seeks to incorporate these uncertainties throughout the analysis by integrating Monte Carlo simulation with Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM). The objective is to investigate how varying parameters affect crack growth prediction and the effectiveness of inspection strategies. The methodology involves systematically analyzing inspection intervals, considering factors like material properties, probability of detection (POD), …

Law School News : Rwu Law Named A 'Best Law School' By The Princeton Review 08-04-2025, Jordan J. Phelan

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Rwu Law Named A 'Best Law School' By The Princeton Review 08-04-2025, Jordan J. Phelan

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Upregulating Ankhd1 In Ps19 Mice Reduces Tau Phosphorylation And Mitigates Tau Toxicity-Induced Cognitive Deficits, Xiaolin Tian, Nathan Le, Yuhai Zhao, Dina Alawamleh, Andrew Schwartz, Lauren Meyer, Elizabeth Helm, Chunlai Wu

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Using the fly eye as a model system, we previously demonstrated that upregulation of the fly gene mask protects against FUS- and Tau-induced photoreceptor degeneration. Building upon this finding, we investigated whether the protective role of mask is conserved in mammals. To this end, we generated a transgenic mouse line carrying Cre-inducible ANKHD1, the human homolog of mask. Utilizing the TauP301S-PS19 mouse model for Tau-related dementia, we found that expressing ANKHD1 driven by CamK2a-Cre reduced hyperphosphorylated human Tau in 6-month-old mice. Additionally, ANKHD1 expression was associated with a trend toward reduced gliosis and preservation of the presynaptic marker Synaptophysin, suggesting …

Integrating World Percussion Into Graduate Jazz Training: A Practitioner Reflection, Eugene Seow

Publications and Research

This reflection explores the pedagogical and artistic impact of a non-traditional instructional choice made during the author’s final semester of graduate study at Queens College (CUNY). Initially enrolled in the Jazz Studies: Performance Track (Drum Set), the author elected to substitute formal principal study lessons with a personalised programme of world percussion study under Professor Michael Lipsey. This decision, initially motivated by artistic restlessness, led to foundational experiences in frame drumming, South Indian rhythmic structures, gamelan ensemble, and classical snare etude work. The outcomes of this shift have since permeated the author’s teaching, performance, and curriculum development practice, including the …

Volumetric Imaging Of Cellular Dynamics Using Light-Sheet Microscopy: From Subcellular Structures To Whole Organisms, Md Nasful Huda Prince

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Advancing biomedical imaging requires platforms that combine high-resolution, speed, and stability across biological scales. This dissertation presents three innovations designed to address limitations of conventional light-sheet and oblique plane imaging. First, we introduce Reflected Inline Detection in Epi-Oblique Plane Microscopy (RIDE-OPM), a compact and drift-resistant system that eliminates a tertiary detection path while maintaining alignment flexibility, enabling robust long-term live imaging. Second, we present a high-speed Axially Swept Light-Sheet Microscopy (ASLM) platform for cleared tissues, using dual foci and synchronized sweeping to achieve isotropic sub-micron resolution at up to 40 frames-per-second, a fourfold improvement over standard ASLM. Integrated with a …

Non-Pharmacological Interventions For Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders And Anxiety, Alichia Lashawn Pecks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project used a quality improvement approach to address the co-prescription of stimulants and benzodiazepines in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety in outpatient mental health settings. The project explored whether implementing a structured non-pharmacological staff education program for mental health staff could improve knowledge of safe, evidence-based treatment alternatives. The purpose of this staff education project was to improve provider knowledge of evidence-based, non-pharmacological treatment alternatives. To address this issue, a structured non-pharmacological staff education program was implemented to improve provider knowledge of safer, evidence-based treatment alternatives. Four participants completed pre- …

Opposing Roles For Iron Transport Systems In Gallium Tolerance In Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia Coli, Nagama Parveen

Theses and Dissertations

Iron is required for bacterial growth because it serves as a co-factor for enzymes involved in DNA synthesis, cellular respiration, and other processes. Disrupting bacterial iron homeostasis is an effective strategy to prevent the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and gallium (Ga³⁺) has emerged as a promising candidate due to its ability to displace iron (Fe³⁺) and prevent essential iron-dependent pathways. However, Escherichia coli are naturally less sensitive to gallium than many other bacteria, and the mechanisms that control gallium tolerance are not completely understood. To address this, we performed a genome-wide transposon sequencing (TnSeq) screen to identify genes important for …

Quality Improvement Project Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The Institute For Healthcare Improvement’S Joy In Work Framework On Burnout Experienced By Dialysis Staff, Bernice Jones

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Burnout continues to pose a pervasive and escalating challenge in healthcare, with its severity further amplified in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dialysis professionals are especially vulnerable, facing elevated patient volumes, extended work hours, and frequent encounters with complex clinical needs. These ongoing stressors highlight the critical importance of this quality improvement (QI) project, as there exists an urgent need for evidence-based strategies to alleviate burnout among dialysis professionals. This QI project aimed to enhance joy in the dialysis work setting and reduce burnout experienced by dialysis staff through the implementation of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) Joy …

Development Of Policy Related To Test Anxiety In High-Stakes Environment, Jancy J. Sabu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Many nursing students experience test anxiety (TA) due to the highly stressful learning environment and the high-stakes nature of nursing exams. A community college in Texas has experienced an increase in student attrition from 2018 to 2022, primarily due to course failures, which are linked to TA. Expressive writing (EW) is a proven intervention that allows students to write about their anxieties and fears related to exams, helping them to regulate their emotions and manage TA. This project aimed to develop a policy that implements EW as an intervention and incorporates it into the nursing syllabus. Using the Centers for …

Feasibility Of A Novel Combined Treatment For Apraxia Of Speech, Claire Evans Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a disorder of articulation and prosody interrupting the spatial and temporal planning and/or programming of speech movements and commonly co-occurs with aphasia. Most AOS treatment research has used single case experimental designs (SCEDS) to document the effects of treatment. The strength of SCEDs is that they can demonstrate clear causal relations between intervention and behavior change. The most studied AOS treatment is an articulatory-kinematic treatment called Sound Production Treatment (SPT). This study was designed to examine the effects of a novel treatment, Sound Production Treatment in a Metrical- Paced Frame (SPTMF), on the speech production …

My A-T Pack: A Qualitative Study Of The Utility, Acceptability, Design, And Content Of A Family-Designed And Owned Information Pack Relevant To The Lives Of Children And Young People Living With Ataxia Telangiectasia, Lisa Bunn, Joanne Paton

School of Health Professions

BackgroundAtaxia Telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare genetic and progressive condition, primarily affecting the neurological, immunological, and pulmonary systems. In the absence of a cure, people living with A-T require co-ordinated multidisciplinary care to manage their complex needs. This often leads to families working with a range of different professionals and feeling burdened by the amount of information and coordination of care that they manage.With the aim to inform the co-production of a family-owned healthcare pack to promote person-centered care and self-management, this study explored the views of children with A-T and parents of children and young people with A-T about …

The Effect Of Hcv On Methadone Dose During Pregnancy, Sarah Boudova, Neel S. Iyer, Danielle M. Tholey, Jonathan M. Fenkel, Rupsa C. Boelig

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

Pregnancy is a time of high patient motivation to initiate treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Hepatic drug metabolism can be altered by pregnancy and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We aimed to examine the impact of HCV during pregnancy on methadone dosing. Retrospective chart review of all pregnant patients with OUD admitted for initiation of methadone from 1/2020-6/2022. Associations were examined using Student's T-tests, chi-squared tests, Fisher's exact tests and univariate and multivariate linear regression. We identified 191 pregnancies initiated on methadone, of which 188 were screened for HCV. 111 (59.0%) were HCV Antibody (Ab)+, of whom 108 were …

Simulation And Statistical Validation Method For Evaluating Daylighting Performance In Hot Climates, Nivin Sherif, Ahmed Yehia, Walaa S.E. Ismaeel

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Olr Mm, Lp V. Larue

All Decisions

The court granted the tenant's motion to dismiss the landlord's holdover petition for failure to complete annual recertification. The court found that the petition was fatally defective because it failed to plead the full rent regulatory status of the tenancy. Specifically, it omitted the existence of a regulatory agreement between the landlord and HPD, which governs the tenancy and affects the tenant's rights. The court held that this omission, which deprived the court of an understanding of the entire regulatory framework, was not a mere technicality and warranted dismissal.

Dyadic And Multiparty Turn-Taking In Two Deaf Preschool Classrooms, Savannah Tellander

Theses

Conversational turn-taking skills are needed to succeed in most conversational interactions. Timing of turn-taking is crucial for young deaf signers, who need early, accessible, and consistent input in a signed and/or spoken language. For deaf children who acquire a language in either modality, they must acquire appropriate turn-taking skills. Without these abilities, children may miss critical language input, and in a cascading effect–they may miss opportunities both for input (and thus new knowledge) and expressive language. In addition to documenting deaf children’s turn-taking skills across development, it is important to also document timing data for further understanding of cognitive language …

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) Thermal Balance: Internal Characterization, Correlation, And Lessons Learned, Matt Ralphs, Mike Holt

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is providing the first global characterization of atmospheric waves that originate in Earth’s lower atmosphere and affect space weather. The instrument has been installed on the International Space Station’s (ISS) ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC) site 1 since November 2023. The AWE flight thermal balance test at Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) was unique in that the radiation exchange from the radiators was not tested prior to flight. Instead, heaters were placed on the radiators to simulate environmental heat and control the boundary temperatures. Multi-layer insulation (MLI) was installed over the radiators and heat flow meters were …

Case Report: Sarcina Ventriculi, A Masquerade Of Motility, Katherine Westbrook Cates, Catherine Hudson

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Sarcina ventriculi is a rare bacterium that has the potential to cause severe disease in the gastric mucosa. According to our search, there are less than 100 prior published case reports. This case discusses a 69-year-old man who presented to the hospital with severe gastric distention noted on CT of the abdomen with intractable nausea and emesis, for which endoscopy was performed and ruled out gastric outlet obstruction, with biopsies resulting as S. ventriculi. This bacterium has previously been reported to cause gastric dysmotility, as well as severe side effects including gastric perforation.

Exploring Hepatic Stellate Cell-Driven Fibrosis: Therapeutic Advances And Future Perspectives, Alka Singh, Ansab Akhtar, Prashant Shukla

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Liver fibrosis, a progressive liver disease arising from viral or metabolic causes, poses a major global health challenge due to its potential progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to the complex aetiology and epidemiology of liver fibrosis, most therapies fail in the clinic, and very few drugs have been approved by the US FDA. APPROACH: This review highlights the pathophysiological features of liver fibrosis, with a focus on novel targets in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), key players in the fibrogenesis process, to develop successful therapeutic approaches using both pharmacological agents and active targeting strategies. The review …

The Impact Of The Implementation Of A Code Lavender Stress Management Program On Post-Surgical Critical Care Nurses’ Stress, Solange Ngoundjou

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Post-surgical critical care nurses face a variety of stressful events when providing patient care. And there is a strong relationship between job stress, provision of patient care, patient satisfaction, and the overall well-being of the organization.

PICOT Question: For post-surgical critical nurses who are part of a stressful event (P), do evidence-based stress management strategies (I) compared to the current practice (C), reduce stress (O) within 8 weeks (T)?

Evidence: The evidence that guided this project change is based on John Hopkins’ nursing evidence-based practice model, and Lewin’s Change theory.

Intervention: The Code Lavender …

Artificial Ignorance: Understanding The Role Of Ai In Modern Agnotology, Amit Ray, Michael Nolan

Articles

This paper explores the concept of agnotology, the deliberate production of ignorance, within the context of modern scientific endeavors, particularly in the corporate and technological sectors. It examines how industries use various tactics to manipulate public understanding of scientific issues, often to protect profits and limit liability. The rise of private sector funding and the increasing reliance on technologies like AI and machine learning have exacerbated this process by making scientific inquiry more opaque and less accountable. Ultimately, we argue that as knowledge production becomes more entangled with corporate interests and technological systems, traditional methods of oversight and regulation are …

Gated Recurrent Unit With Decay Has Real-Time Capability For Postoperative Ileus Surveillance And Offers Cross-Hospital Transferability, Xiaoyang Ruan, Sunyang Fu, Heling Jia, Kellie L Mathis, Cornelius A Thiels, Schaeferle M Gavin, Patrick M Wilson, Curtis B Storlie, Hongfang Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Ileus, a postoperative complication after colorectal surgery, increases morbidity, costs, and hospital stays. Assessing risk of ileus is crucial, especially with the trend towards early discharge. Prior studies assessed risk of ileus with regression models, the role of deep learning remains unexplored.

Methods: We evaluated the Gated Recurrent Unit with Decay (GRU-D) for real-time ileus risk assessment in 7349 colorectal surgeries across three Mayo Clinic sites with two Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. The results were compared with atemporal models on a panel of benchmark metrics.

Results: Here we show that despite extreme data sparsity (e.g., 72.2% of labs, …

Factors Influencing Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Vulnerable Communities In Texas: Perceptions Of 2-1-1 Helpline Callers, Lara S Savas, Paula Cuccaro, Kehe Zhang, Rodrigo Hernandez, Meghan E Haffey, Belinda Reininger, Anais Mendiola, Olivia Dominguez, Maribel Sifuentes, Cici Bauer, Maria E Fernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Vaccination effectively and safely prevents serious illness from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study examines the complex factors associated with vaccination uptake among economically disadvantaged adults calling the Texas/United Way 2-1-1 helpline. Results informed the development of strategies to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake among vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality.

Material and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 2-1-1 adult callers (May 2021-September 2022). The survey examined demographic, sociocultural, healthcare access, and psychosocial factors, as well as mistrust in health agencies. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine factors associated with vaccination uptake, and …

Socioecological Factors And Age Of Diagnosis For Autism Spectrum Disorder Among U.S. Children, Richline Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As autism spectrum disorder (autism/ASD) diagnoses rise, understanding the influence of socioecological factors on the age of diagnosis among children in the United States is critical for timely intervention and improved quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine how socioecological factors influence the age at which children are diagnosed with autism/ASD. The quantitative causal-comparative design, which was informed by Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model, involved analysis of secondary data from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health (N=1416). Ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that race and ethnicity moderated the relationship between socioeconomic status (caregiver educational and employment status …

Staff Education For Improved Diabetes Management: Enhancing Knowledge And Patient Outcomes, Carissa Martine Bolden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increase in patients’ hemoglobin A1c levels in a South Mississippi organization suggests that inadequate type 2 diabetes (T2DM) knowledge among the staff hindered them from delivering competent care. The gap in practice at the site revealed a deficiency in knowledge in nutrition education for healthcare providers and staff, which led to the practice question: Does educating providers and staff on nutrition for adults with type 2 diabetes improve knowledge, as evidenced by pre- and post-surveys? This educational initiative employed the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model, the John Hopkins evidence-based practice (JHEBP) model, the Walden University Doctor …

Effective Strategies For Mitigating Skills Gaps Postpandemic In The Automotive Industry, Neil Shah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inadequate approaches to filling employee skill gaps can seriously weaken workforce stability and organizational performance. Canadian automotive sector leaders are concerned about the risk of persistent employment shortages, high employee turnover, and decreased productivity. Grounded in Alderfer's existence, relatedness, and growth theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore the strategies employed by Canadian auto manufacturers to address skill shortages in their workforce in the wake of the pandemic and subsequent digitalization. Six senior executives from Canadian auto manufacturers who led successful skill-development and retention initiatives participated in semistructured interviews, complemented by a review of …

African American Men's Perceptions Of Law Enforcement, Dr. Dedrie Reshell Leonard-Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American Black men are more likely to report unreasonable, unnecessary, and unwarranted experiences with U.S. law enforcement than men of other racial groups, and they higher mistrust toward law enforcement than any other racial group. These experiences have been described as unjustifiable due to the level of force used by police. In some cases, excessive force by law enforcement has resulted in the death of Black men. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore Black men’s perceptions of law enforcement and to understand their distrust. The study centered on the facilitators and barriers to Black men trusting …