Digital Commons Network^™

Animal Agriculture: Reversing Confinement Trends, Andrew Rowan

Tales of WellBeing

Learn how early 21st-century animal welfare campaigns targeted intensive confinement, leading to major changes in farmed animal treatment.

Aetiology And Outcome Of Childhood Convulsive Status Epilepticus: A Tertiary Care Experience In Oman, Areeba Wasim, Shihab S. Al Maawali, Abdulrahman S. Aljabri, Fatema Al Amrani, Faraz Ahmad, Ahmed Mansi, Amna Al Futaisi

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the aetiology, management and outcomes of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in children and highlight the factors influencing patient outcomes in such cases. Methods: In a retrospective study spanning the 2020–2023 period, 93 children with CSE treated at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital’s emergency department (ED), high dependency unit (HDU) and intensive care unit (ICU) were analysed. The Modified Rankin Scale at discharge was used to determine CSE outcomes. Results: Among the 93 children studied (mean age 4.84 ± 3.64 years), predominantly Omani (92.47%), 14 aetiologies were noted. Of them, acute symptomatic (37.7%) and febrile status …

Assessment Of Albumin Usage Patterns And Appropriateness In A Comprehensive Cancer Centre: A Retrospective Study In Jordan, Asma'a A. Al-Kharabsheh, Lama H. Nazer, Wedad Awad, Ala'a Ghanem, Rand Al-Hadaddin, Batool Bani Amer, Hadeel Thawaibeh, Nour Mustafa, Rula Al-Najjar, Abeer Al-Rabayah, Saad Jaddoua

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Albumin is commonly used for various indications; however, there is conflicting data regarding its appropriate use in different clinical cases. This study aimed to determine the pattern and appropriateness of albumin use among cancer patients at the King Hussein Cancer Center in Jordan. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on adult cancer patients who were prescribed albumin between January 2019 and July 2020 in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Data collected included demographics, prescribing services, indications and dosing regimens. A literature review was performed using PubMed to assess the appropriateness of albumin indications and dosing regimens against current guidelines, …

The Phenomenological Effects Of Fidel Castro’S Communist Revolution On The Christian Church In Cuba, Daniel Orama

Masters Theses

The claims that religious freedom in Cuba can coexist alongside the Communist, Marxist, Socialist regime without hindrance contradicts the Word of God and eyewitness testimonies of those who serve in the Cuban Christian church. Church pastors in Cuba often suffer imprisonment as long as twenty years before being allowed to return to their homes and communities. This study regains the views of countless pastors and those serving in churches throughout Cuba, whose opinions concerning Christians who put themselves in harm’s way against the communist authorities are expurgated. Using the qualitative research paradigm, this study utilizes qualitative artistic and creative research …

Embodied Apologetics As Pragmatic Evidence For Christianity, Peter F. Grett

Masters Theses

Embodied apologetics as pragmatic evidence for Christianity: how the lived experiences, visible practices and demonstrated values of believers serve as a compelling defense of the faith in a post-Christian society.

Using Origami And Shrinky Dinks To Create Active Learning Activities To Tackle Two Microbiology Concepts: Cell Structure Differences And Operon Regulation, Manuela Tripepi, Hannah M. Schapiro

College of Life Sciences Faculty Papers

This paper presents two low-cost hands-on activities designed to enhance student understanding and address the pedagogical challenges faced by microbiology professors in teaching concepts related to cell structure and gene regulation. In the first activity, we used Shrinky Dinks and Jeopardy-style game questions to explore the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Students have to collect pieces and physically build their cell models. The second activity uses origami organelles sets from Edvotek to illustrate the regulation of gene expression in the lac and trp operons, incorporating mutation scenarios for analysis. The intended audience comprises undergraduate students in microbiology, including biology, …

A Quotient Of Fomin-Kirillov Algebra And Q-Lucas Polynomial, Sirous Homayouni

Mathematics Faculty Publications

We introduce a quotient of the Fomin-Kirillov algebra F K(n) denoted by F KCn (n), over the ideal generated by the edges of a complete graph on n vertices that are missing in the n-cycle graph Cn. In this quotient algebra, we establish a one-to-one correspondence between the basis elements and the set of matchings in an n-cycle graph. We prove that the Hilbert series of F KCn (n) corresponds to the q-Lucas polynomials, and the dimension of this quotient algebra is equal to the Lucas number Ln. We also find the character map of this quotient algebra over the …

The Forward Edge Of The Fifth Us Army War College, David C. Hill, David D. Dworak, Aaron Blair Wilcox

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The US Army War College recognizes the requirements for continued adaptation during periods of systemic and technological change. Currently on the forward edge of its fifth evolution, the college is adapting to provide assessment-based, tailorable education to its students and deliver impactful leader-development programs, research, and war gaming to inform strategic leaders about critical national security choices. Adapting strategic education to keep pace with the needs of the future operational force is essential to maintain the war-fighting edge for the Army of 2040 and beyond. This fifth evolution of the Army War College reinvigorates education requirements in the global application …

Why The Afghan And Iraqi Armies Collapsed: An Allied Perspective, Colin D. Robinson

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Rather than military factors, American and Western liberal ideas (ideological views) and politics explain many of the obstacles faced in rebuilding the Afghan and Iraqi Armies. Liberal ideas largely determined what options the coalition would use. Ideological factors help explain democratization and reconstruction challenges, partner leaders with divergent aims, military-cultural factors and the Western combat focus, politicization, corruption, and nepotism. This article reviews the differences between Western liberal democracies and partner states, the politics of counterinsurgency, and army accounts. This article will assist US practitioners in security cooperation, institutional capacity building, and security assistance.

Restoring Priority On Cultural Skill Sets For Modern Military Professionals, Daniel W. Henk, Allison Abbe

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The Department of Defense has failed to distinguish and sustain cultural education relative to foreign language and regional expertise, putting servicemembers at a competitive disadvantage in developing skills to engage other cultures. This article draws on recent retrospective publications and multidisciplinary social science perspectives but goes beyond them to argue for social science approaches to culture, department-wide efforts to revive culture education, and an improved transition of sociocultural research to practice. Policy and military practitioners will benefit from understanding how culture-general skills complement other important skills in the human domain and from implementing its recommendations.

Resources Designed To Promote Professional Discourse, Brennan Deveraux

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

The Army provides its servicemembers with Army regulation, doctrinal, and organizational publications to accomplish essential tasks—from training and leading units to conducting military operations. Professional discourse is no exception. The US Army War College and Army University Press recently published resources to help the force prioritize professional discourse. These documents provide a starting point for aspiring researchers and a reference guide for individuals and organizations. Combined, these new publications will help the force to take up Chief of Staff of the Army Randy A. George’s charge to revitalize professional discourse in the Army.

Reza Farzan V. Patricia Cleary

2024 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Henry Grajales-El V. Amazon Prime

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Aaron Abadi V. Marina District Development Co Llc

2024 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Mark Mazza V. Bank Of New York Mellon Corp

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Continuing Education For Directors Of Public Companies, Jennifer O'Hare

Faculty Publications

Directors of public companies are responsible for overseeing complex organizations in a rapidly changing business environment, but they are not required to engage in continuing education. This creates a danger that directors will not have the knowledge they need to meet the significant demands of overseeing public companies. To address this, public companies should adopt mandatory continuing education policies for their boards, and the Securities and Exchange Commission should require public companies to disclose basic information about their continuing education programs in their proxy statements.

This is the first scholarly article to address the issue of mandatory continuing education for …

Jimmy And Rosalynn Carter: A Moral Compass That Established An American Political System, Rebecca Hodnett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The 1970s brought an economic, social, and political change in America. Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter created a new wave of traditional, moral ideologies that shaped America for generations. As a Washington outsider, the Carter team swept through Washington, bringing reforms based on honest integrity, social restructuring, and moral underpinning that challenged the established broken political system of the Nixon/Ford years. Relying on their strength with one another, they reimagined domestic and foreign policies by strengthening the office of First Lady, giving a voice to minorities, establishing various new positions, taking on Congress, and creating a hallmark of peace arrangement with …

Authenticity And Worship Technology: An Evaluation Of The Use Of Prerecorded Vocal And Instrumental Tracks In Worship In Augusta, Georgia, Susan R. Burgess

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every week, congregations in Augusta, Georgia, gather for corporate worship. A common practice among these congregations is incorporating pre-recorded music technology in their services. Technological advancements have significantly transformed the worship landscape. In this performance-oriented culture, the focus at times shifts from congregationally focused praise to a worship stage production, overshadowing the importance of biblical and authentic worship. This phenomenological case study investigates the lived experiences of worshipers in Augusta, Georgia, focusing on the perceptions of authenticity of worship when pre-recorded music is used. The study involved 15 participants from the Central Savannah River Area, examining their perspectives on authentic …

A Refinement On The Principle Of Resistance: The Puritan Roots Of Political Resistance In America, Michael P. Berry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Puritanism was a religious movement that historically developed with an innate tendency toward political resistance. Birthed out of the complexities of the English Reformation, Puritan non-conformity caused tensions between dissenters and the English monarchs. These tensions followed non-conformists when they chose to emigrate to Massachusetts Bay in order to establish a church and government favorable to their ideas of Congregationalism. Their experience in New England continued to demonstrate the Puritan penchant toward political resistance as they strove to develop and maintain a virtual independent, sovereign republic despite attempts by the royal government to bring the Northern colonies into conformity consistent …

Lighting The Lamp Of Learning: Florida Freedmen’S Education During Reconstruction, Jessica L. Damron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While the American Civil War attracts significant research attention, Reconstruction often receives little attention in comparison. Focus the research on Reconstruction in Florida, and the scholarship narrows even more. This study reveals the efforts of the Freedmen’s Bureau, northern aid societies, and the freedmen teachers who advanced the education of the freedmen in Florida during Reconstruction. The cooperative effort included the freedmen who participated inspiringly during this period in their pursuit of education. The freedmen understood education represented the key to unlocking the potential of their new freedom. The Reconstruction period in Florida underwent progress and setbacks. However, the zeal …

Citizen Engagement Through Social Media In Small Maryland Towns, Chad P. Rooney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand how municipalities used social media to engage stakeholders for the selected Maryland towns including residents, business owners, and industries located within their respective jurisdictions, and to identify potential future impacts for continued use of social media. Governments have implemented Facebook to increase interaction, participation, and transparency between local governing bodies and residents. This research examined the uses of social media by nine small towns in Maryland. The primary questions addressed include the reasons these towns began using social media, the extent to which relationship between citizens of small towns in Maryland …

Nursing Faculty Exposure To Student Incivility And Interventions In Place To Address: A Case Study, Kimberly Lowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore nursing faculty exposure to nursing student incivility at a nursing college in the Mid-Atlantic region. Bandura's social learning theory provided this study’s theoretical framework. The continuum of workplace aggression and conceptual model fostering incivility in nursing education also guided this study. This study answered the following central research question: How have nursing faculty been exposed to incivility by nursing students? Data were collected for this study through one-on-one interviews with nursing faculty exposed to nursing student incivility and a focus group with the same nursing faculty to discuss the current …

The Ideological Background Of National Socialism In Regard To Its Central Narrative Convictions, David Joseph Thrower

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The origins of the National Socialist Party in Germany in the early 20th century are multifaceted and constitute four areas of influence – mythological/occult, Darwinian eugenics, prior völkisch political movements comprised of disenfranchised war veterans and youth activists, and a number of philosophical influences. The ideas assimilated from these sources constitute the construction of a narrative based on a series of questions that form what are called Central Narrative Convictions (or CNCs). The focus is to determine which of these were borrowed in regard to the Nazi platform as well as those unique to their own identity. These convictions also …

Teaching Aural Skills In Undergraduate Music Using World Music Concepts: A Narrative Inquiry, Eugene Seow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project recognizes the potential of pedagogical innovation through world music concepts, particularly in applying world music education techniques to acquiring undergraduate aural skills. The study examines concepts from African drumming, Indian tala, Arabic maqam, and Japanese gagaku, briefly inquiring into the psychology and theory behind these world musics, and determines how best to transfer the concepts to an undergraduate aural skill teaching curriculum alongside its core concepts rooted in the Western classical idiom. Thus, teachers can augment aural skills education at the collegiate level with cross-cultural perspectives and integrative techniques. This qualitative narrative inquiry research recognizes the imbalance in …

Revictimization Of Sexual Assault Survivors: Correlations Between Shame, Dissociation, Rape Myth Culture, And Revictimization, Jessica Lynn Wiggs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual assault (SA) remains a pervasive issue with profound psychological and social implications. This study investigated the relationships between shame, rape myth culture (RMC), dissociation, and revictimization among college students utilizing southern university health center counseling services. Using a quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional research design, the study addressed a gap in the existing literature by examining how these factors act together and affect SA survivors' mental health. The research questions focused on the decrease in shame following SA, the impact of revictimization on shame levels, and whether acceptance of rape myths and dissociation mediate this relationship. The study also explored whether …

An Exploration Of How Teacher Leaders Perceive Their Influence On Student Learning: A Transcendental Phenomenology Of The Experiences Of Teacher Leaders, Allison A. Crum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenology was to describe how teacher leaders perceive their influence on student learning at the primary and secondary levels at a K-12 charter school system. The theory guiding this study was social cognitive theory. The interpretive framework was social constructivism. The central research question was: How do teacher leaders describe how students learn under the leadership of teacher leaders? A qualitative transcendental phenomenology research design was employed, and the setting was the primary and secondary K-12 school levels. The sample size of 16 participants included both informal and formal teacher leaders at the elementary, middle …

Cultivating Multicultural Christian Youth Ministry Team Leaders Through Covenant Relationships With Youth In Kc And Stl Metro Area Churches, Christopher D. Edin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One significant challenge for today’s Christian churches involves bridging the gap between youth involvement in church after high school graduation and moving on to college (Owens, 2014). Owens (2014) asserts that today’s adolescents experience parental and church support during high school, but once they head off to college, they leave that support and stability at home. Students leave the church for many reasons. This study proposes that one significant reason is that Christian churches do not educate youth ministry team leaders on multiculturalism. This research explored satisfactory multicultural competencies necessary for youth ministry leaders to disciple youth by asking adult …

The Connections Among Adoption, Attachment, And Violence, Victoria M. Sanders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research regarding the experience and outcomes for adopted children has largely ended upon the individual turning 18 years old and has failed to provide adequate information about how adoption impacts an individual throughout the lifespan. Because of a lack of information gathering from the Department of Justice, there is little information about the incarceration rates of adopted individuals and the reasons for those incarcerations. This qualitative research study seeks to gain a better understanding of those individuals who were adopted and committed murder at some point after they were adopted. Court records, transcripts, motions, and evidence related to the murders …

Question Of Revolution In The Carolinas And Georgia From Colonial Times To The Time Of The Early Republic, Megan Shirley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American War of Independence was not and unlimited revolutionary event. More correctly it was a limited revolution. The ideologies, legal codes, and events that formed the basis for justification had historical precedent in English and ancient history. Women and people of color experienced a counter revolution with regards to their rights and liberties after the conflict known as the American Revolution. Although women participated in the conflict did not experience a progression in rights and freedoms. People of color, free and enslaved, certainly experienced a different outcome. They became citizens of a new nation but were denied equal freedom …

Examining Influences Of Academic Resilience Among Minority Adolescent Students, Sylvia Alice Okpon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative and correlational study aimed to investigate which variables of minority adolescent students promote academic resilience and focus on African American and Hispanic students within a public charter school located in Southeast Texas. Grounded on resilience theory, the research investigated the cognitive and emotional regulation of students and student–teacher connections in the process of academic resilience. A purposive sample composed of more than 100 students was used to collect data using the Cognitive Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Inventory of the Student–Teacher Relationship, and the Academic Resilience Scale for an online survey. Data analysis indicated that cognitive and emotional resilience …