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Loss Of Atp-Dependent Citrate Lyase Drives Left Ventricular Dysfunction By Metabolic Remodeling, Shijie Liu, Seth T Gammon, Lin Tan, Yaqi Gao, Kyoungmin Kim, Mahmoud H Elbatreek, Adrian Arrieta, Ian K Williamson, Rebecca L Salazar, Janet Pham, Angela Davidian, Radhika Khanna Neicheril, Benjamin D Gould, Heidi Vitrac, Alia Sadiq, An Q Dinh, Evan C Lien, Francisca N De Luna Vitorino, Joanna M Gongora, Sara A Martinez, Melanie T Odenkirk, Anna K Boatman, Jessie R Chappel, Lawrence S C Czer, Evan P Kransdorf, David J Lefer, Blake M Hanson, Benjamin A Garcia, Erin M Baker, Matthew G Vander Heiden, Philip L Lorenzi, Heinrich Taegtmeyer, David Piwnica-Worms, James F Martin, Anja Karlstaedt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Metabolic adaptation and maladaptation are hallmarks of the failing heart and may be a target for therapeutic interventions. For example, sustained glucose oxidation during cardiac stress is associated with increased activity and abundance of ACL (ATP-dependent citrate lyase, Acly), which produces acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) from citrate and CoA and supports de novo lipid synthesis. However, our understanding of how ACL supports cardiac metabolic adaptation and its potential to modulate disease pathophysiology has not yet been investigated.

Methods: We used human heart tissue samples from healthy donors and patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Next, we used CRISPR (clustered, regularly interspaced …

Molecular Mechanism Leading To Human Coronary Atherosclerosis Assessed By Proteomic Analysis And Rna Sequences, Sarah J Parker, Chunhong Mao, David L Caudell, Austin Lyle Seals, Yizhi Wang, Thomas D Green, Joseph M Mcclung, Joshua T Maxwell, Jacolby T Roddey, Kiarash Shakeriastani, Chiung-Ting Wu, Yingzhou Lu, Do-Kyun Kim, Justyna Fert-Bober, Dongping Du, Archana Bhat, Niveda Sundararaman, Matthew Ayres, Rakhi Pandey, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Genesio M Karere, Dana Troxclair, Fannie Jackson, Gordon L Love, Richard Vander Heide, James Hixson, Jennifer E Van Eyk, Yue Wang, David Herrington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and aims: Atherosclerosis results from cellular and extracellular changes in the arterial wall, preceded by molecular shifts that initiate disease and drive tissue conversion, yet these changes are not yet fully described. More data are needed concerning these early changes in the coronary artery molecular landscape that signify the initiation of atherosclerosis and the subsequent tissue pheno-conversion to atherosclerotic plaque. This report summarizes results from a large biorepository of human coronary artery tissue, applying state-of-the-art omics technology, advanced data analytic methods, and an arterial organoid model system to predict molecular dynamics and identify potential regulatory mechanisms that could interrupt …

Association Between Opioids And Leukemia/Lymphoma In Adults Living In The United States, Brenda Sue Newberry-Colasanti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Opioid prescribing rates and opioid misuse remain high throughout the United States. Exposure to opioids has been positively associated with various cancers; however, research evaluating associations between opioid exposure and hematologic cancers like leukemia and lymphoma is limited. Using the Socio- Ecological Model as a foundation, this quantitative cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the association between medicinal opioid use, opioid misuse, and leukemia/lymphoma while exploring how selected social determinants of health (SDOH) may modify that relationship. Secondary data were pooled from the 2015–20-year United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). One thousand three hundred and twenty binary …

Lived Experiences Of Emotional Competence Development Among Online Doctoral Clinical Psychology Students During Clinical Training, Michelle Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional competence is essential for effective clinical practice, professional development, and client care. However, limited research has examined how emotional competence develops among students in fully online doctoral clinical psychology programs. This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study explored how students enrolled in online doctoral clinical psychology programs experience the development of emotional competence during clinical field training. Guided by Goleman’s emotional competence framework, the lived experiences of doctoral students as they developed emotional awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and relationship management skills was examined. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 purposively selected participants enrolled in online doctoral clinical psychology programs …

Designing Micro-Creativity Interventions In Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Education: A Phase 2 Pedagogical Study, Shawn E. Schooley

Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship

The purpose of this study is to examine the design and implementation of micro-creativity interventions as a pedagogical approach for helping undergraduate entrepreneurship students translate abstract creative concepts into actionable entrepreneurial practice. Drawing on data from a Fall 2025 undergraduate Creativity and Innovation course, this Phase 2 pedagogical study focuses on instructional design, scaffolding, and implementation rather than causal effectiveness claims. Micro-creativity interventions, short, repeated instructional activities embedded throughout the course, were integrated into routine coursework and examined using aggregate assignment performance, student self-evaluations, structured reflections, and course-level evaluation data. Findings suggest that repeated, low-stakes creative activities supported sustained engagement …

Internalized Colorism As A Gendered Barrier To Skin Cancer Information Avoidance Among Hispanic College Students, Soo Yun Kim, Wan-Lin Chang

Communication Faculty Publications

Skin cancer disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority populations, yet sociocultural factors shaping engagement with preventive health information remain understudied. This study examines whether internalized colorism functions as a barrier to skin cancer information avoidance among Hispanic college students and whether these associations differ by sex. Using survey data from 300 undergraduates at a Hispanic-serving institution, hierarchical regression analyses examined how three dimensions of colorism, including self-concept, attractiveness, and upward mobility, were associated with skin cancer information avoidance. Results indicated that only the attractiveness dimension predicted information avoidance. This association was moderated by sex, such that attractiveness-based colorism was …

The Truths Beneath The Story: Internal Conflict, Catharsis, And Psychological Allegory As The Catalyst For Transformation In Screenwriting, Heather Bixler

Masters Theses

The Tour is a psychological coming-of-age screenplay that constructs meaning through the interaction of the main character's internal contradictions, resulting in an emotionally and structurally driven transformation. The screenplay is an original feature-length screenplay that follows Claudia, a 17-year-old girl who finds herself in the Unknown World. There she meets The Heartmaker and discovers her heart is missing. She journeys to Pineville, a town that mirrors her life back home, where her late father is still alive, and the townspeople reflect hidden truths of those she loves. The Tour is a coming-of-age psychological drama with allegorical dimensions. The script explores …

The Protective Factors Of Alcohol Use And Problem Drinking By Emerging Adults During The 2020s And The Era Of Covid-19, Aubrey A. Coplon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research investigated the protective factors that shape alcohol use and problem drinking among emerging adults during the 2020s, with a spotlight on the COVID-19 pandemic. As this age group grapples with the complexities of self-discovery and independence, the pandemic introduced a new set of challenges and shifts. Through qualitative interviews, this study worked to uncover the resilience strategies and support systems that have emerged as crucial in mitigating alcohol misuse. It examined the role of social connections, mental health resources, coping mechanisms, and evolving social norms in buffering against problem drinking. While the pandemic intensified some risks, it also …

Iran’S Development Of Criminal Foreign Policy Capabilities In The United States From 2013–2020, Scott James Harr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Iran’s development of criminal foreign policy capabilities in the United States represents an emerging phenomenon that is transforming the U.S.-Iran foreign policy relationship from a national security issue, primarily executed abroad, into a homeland security threat located within the United States. As an emerging dimension of the U.S.-Iran foreign policy relationship, this behavior by Iran must be thoroughly understood to aid U.S. policymakers in developing relevant policies to address the issue. However, Iran’s motivations for its international behavior are hotly debated among scholars of international relations (IR) theory. Some see Iran’s behavior as ideologically based, while others claim Iran’s behavior …

Trinity And Moderate Communitarianism: The Shape Of Social Engagement Within The Godhead, Harry Allotey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explores the doctrine of the Trinity through the lens of Social Trinitarianism in dialogue with African communitarian anthropology, particularly the Ghanaian construct of moderate communitarianism as articulated by Kwame Gyekye. The central thesis is that the concept of moderate communitarianism in African cosmology provides an appropriate conceptual framework for understanding the intra-Trinitarian relationship, one that complements Western insights and avoids some concerns associated with modalism and tritheism. By engaging African categories of personhood, community, and relational ontology, the study demonstrates that the life of the Triune God resonates deeply with African communitarian insights, while also offering theological correction …

Experiences Of Cholesterol Management Among Obese Individuals: A Qualitative Exploration Of Statin Use, Diet, And Physical Activity, Ke'andra S. Foggie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia has increased over the past decade, with obesity identified as a major contributing factor. This study examined how individuals with obesity and hypercholesterolemia managed cholesterol and experienced related challenges within their daily lives. Guided by the Chronic Care Model, the research explored participant-reported experiences of statin therapy and lifestyle practices, including dietary behaviors and physical activity, as components of cholesterol management. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis to analyze participant-reported barriers, supports, and contextual factors that shape how these practices are incorporated into daily routines. Although extensive research has examined statin …

In Re: Avandia Marketing

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Employing Derivatives In Exchange-Traded Funds: International Perspective And Polish Evidence, Tomasz Miziołek

Journal of Banking and Financial Economics

The main aims of the paper are to examine the use of derivatives by 13 exchange-traded funds primarily listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange over 2010–2025, including their magnitude and functions, and to identify patterns in derivative use over the past three decades worldwide. The results reveal that derivative use was common among exchange-traded funds listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange; however, it was limited to basic applications. Futures (standard, e-mini, and micro e-mini) were used to obtain leveraged or inverse market exposure or as a supplement to equity holdings, total return swaps were used for synthetic replication, and forwards …

Effective Work-Life Balance Strategies That Small Business Owners Use To Increase Personal And Organizational Resilience, Anquinett Pope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners frequently sustain their businesses at the cost of their personal health, which poses long-term threats to both organizational sustainability and resilience. The sustainability of a small business is often inseparable from the health, well-being, and decision-making capacity of its owner. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to identify and explore effective strategies employed by some small business owners to balance personal and professional obligations to enhance business sustainability. The study was focused on one small business owner from a consulting firm based in the United Kingdom. The project was grounded in the Baldrige excellence …

A Program Proposal For A Leadership-Driven, Evidence-Based, Intentional Rounding Playbook, Jacqueline Butler Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patient experience is a key indicator of healthcare quality. In an acute care hospital in Northeast Georgia, intentional rounding is an established practice. Inconsistent communication, variable leadership engagement, and limited accountability are practice gaps that have reduced its effectiveness in improving patient experience outcomes. A comprehensive literature review using PubMed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library yielded 15 peer-reviewed studies that consistently support intentional rounding as an evidence-based strategy for improving patient satisfaction. As the team leader for this Executive Leadership System Improvement Project, I proposed the development of an Evidence-Based, Leader-Driven Intentional Rounding Program Playbook to standardize enhanced rounding …

Drifting Neurons, Stable Geometry: Population Representations Of Instrumental Behavior In The Dorsomedial Striatum, Arati Sharma

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The brain reliably supports learned behaviors over long periods of time despite continual biological changes that alter the activity of individual neurons, and the connections between them. For learned behaviors to persist, the information stored in neural populations must remain accessible even when the activity of individual neurons changes. Understanding how the brain achieves this is a fundamental challenge in neuroscience. The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) is critical for instrumental behavior, encoding information about actions, outcomes, and their relationships. Although extensive work has characterized the role of the DMS during learning and performance, less is known about how task-related information is …

Songwriting Learning Experiences In Music Education: A Bifurcated Study, Thomas Amoriello Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Historically, the field of music education has been grounded in the band, chorus, and orchestra model, with an abundance of professional development opportunities for educators. Despite the eventual expansion to introduce alternatives, including the Orff approach, guitar ensembles, mariachi, and the ukulele; further exploration of songwriting learning experiences is warranted due to a lack of professional development opportunities for music educators. Traditionally, songwriting is learned or taught piecemeal; thus, the need for music educators to possess additional skills is paramount. This qualitative narrative study will examine the perspectives of music educators who participate in interviews about teaching songwriting or their …

Exploring Nursing Students' Experiences Of Simulation-Based Learning In Developing Critical Thinking, Clinical Reasoning And Clinical Judgment In The Management Of Mental Health Patients: A Qualitative Case Study, Irene Bellew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore how simulation-based learning experiences shape the development of critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment for associate degree nursing students when caring for patients with mental health needs. It addressed the need to narrow the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in clinical settings, enhancing the preparedness of novice nurses. By positioning nurse educators as facilitators of innovative strategies, this study advocates for the integration of simulation-based learning within nursing curricula. Roy’s adaptation model guided the study, and data were collected through observation of simulation sessions, semi-structured interviews, and reflective …

How Christian Beliefs Shape Long-Term Recovery In A 12-Step Program, Decarol L. Gulliford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how individual Christian beliefs play a role in long-term recovery in a 12-step program. The findings from this study, focusing on this purpose, addressed the problem recognized as having a lack of research related to the Christian spiritual beliefs associated with the 12-step program and its successes or failures. Logotherapy provided the lens for the theoretical framework with data collected from a sample of seven individuals who had been sober for at least 10 years. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed for themes using Braun and Clarke’s six phases …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Faith-Based Advocacy Experiences Of Leaders Of Christian Academic Libraries, Melanie Lewis Croft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the faith-based advocacy experiences for library leaders at Christian institutions of higher education. The theory guiding this study is spiritual leadership theory, which demonstrates how library leaders connect library resources and services to the advancement of the mission and goals of a Christian institution of higher education. The central research question asked, What are the lived experiences of library leaders in Christian institutions of higher education who have engaged in faith-based advocacy? Participants in this study were those who served as the primary administrator of an academic library within a …

Associating Herzberg’S Motivation-Hygiene Two-Factor Theory And Influential Factors On Turnover Intentions Within The U.S. Federal Government Agencies: An Ex Post Facto Quantitative Method Approach, Beatrice Nadine Sibug Fant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examined the critical issue of employee turnover in U.S. federal government agencies and the challenge of retaining highly qualified individuals amid competition from private-sector companies offering employees multiple benefits. It follows Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Two-Factor Theory and measures the impact of employee satisfaction, engagement, work-life balance, and performance on turnover intentions. Additionally, the study considered demographic and occupational variables, such as gender, supervisory status, military service, and years of service in the federal government. Using data from the 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), which received responses from 557,778 participants (a 35% response rate), the study investigates how employee …

Moral Injury And Spiritual Healing Among Missouri Male Combat Veterans Of Operation Iraqi Freedom: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Rebekah Mills

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of moral injury and spiritual well-being among male Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veterans ages 35 to 55 in Missouri. The theory guiding this study was Park’s Meaning-Making Model, with moral injury theory providing conceptual context for understanding morally injurious experiences. The questions guiding the study are: How do male combat veterans between the ages of 35 to 55 of Operation Iraqi Freedom describe their lived experiences of moral injury and spiritual well being? How do the veterans understand the relationship between morally injurious experiences and their spiritual well-being? …

The Effect Of The Dobbs Decision On State Abortion Policy Regarding Telemedicine, Margo Deihl Nicholas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Telemedicine is a growing area of health care that has become one of the primary policy tools to enhance abortion access following the 2022 Dobbs decision, which gave states full autonomy over abortion policy as a result of overturning the landmark case Roe v. Wade (1973). The purpose of this dissertation is to study the effect of the Dobbs decision on state abortion policy regarding telemedicine and understand how these policies are used to either restrict or protect abortion at the state level. This dissertation was guided by Buchanan’s Public Choice Theory. The following research question guided the study: What …

Ecclesiastes’ Framework For The New Testament Doctrine Of Personal Eschatological Judgment, Brent D. Denney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the relationship between the assertions of divine judgment in the book of Ecclesiastes and the New Testament passages that depict the final judgment of humans. Chapter One introduces the topic and thesis by foregrounding modern scholarship's neglect of the conceptual relationship between Ecclesiastes’ assertions of divine judgment and the New Testament’s mature doctrine of personal eschatological judgment, which underpins this study. Chapter Two examines Qohelet’s deployment of the term הֶבֶל (heḇel) as a tensive symbol for the conditions stemming from the fall and its effects on humanity's pursuit of anything of lasting value (יִתְרוֹן, yiṯrôn). For Qohelet, …

Exploring The Leadership Experiences Of Black Males At Four-Year Public Universities: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Demario Levon Preston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the school leadership experiences for Black male students at four-year public universities. At this stage in the research, leadership experiences were defined as the lived experiences of Black male students in universities' leadership roles, including the barriers they encountered and the strategies they employed to navigate these challenges. The theory guiding this study was Astin's (1984) theory of involvement, which posits that student engagement influences academic success and leadership development. The central research question asked: What are the lived experiences of Black males in four-year public universities who engage in …

A Strategy For Identifying, Equipping, And Empowering High-Capacity Church Leaders Within The Zero Collective Network, Blake Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry action research project addressed the shortage of high-capacity lay leaders within The Zero Collective (TZC), a multi-church network in West Michigan, which has limited the sustainability and expansion of ministry initiatives. The purpose of this project was to develop a practical, biblically grounded strategy for identifying, equipping, and empowering high-capacity leaders to strengthen the network’s leadership pipeline and support its mission.

Using an action research methodology, this study engaged a select group of lay leaders identified as having high leadership potential. Data were collected through a triangulated approach, including pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, …

Secondary Traumatic Stress: Lived Experiences Of Urban Educators, Stephanie R. Booker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and interpret the lived experiences of urban educators who experienced secondary traumatic stress resulting from exposure to the traumatic events of their students. Teachers in urban school settings serve students with high exposure to poverty, violence, and trauma, and these shared experiences often result in the urban educator experiencing secondary traumatic stress (STS). The theory guiding this study was Hans Selye's Stress Theory. Data were collected through interviews with ten secondary urban educators from five states and eight cities with varying years of experience, grade levels, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. …

Where Containment Was Born: Greece And The First Battlefield Of The Cold War, Christos Vourtsas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the origins, implementation, and consequences of United States intervention in Greece during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949), situating the conflict within the broader development of early Cold War strategy. It argues that American involvement in Greece represented the first fully realized application of containment policy and established precedents that shaped subsequent United States foreign interventions throughout the Cold War. The study begins by tracing the political and military fragmentation of Greece during the Axis occupation (1941-1944) and the subsequent breakdown of political reconciliation following the Varkiza Agreement in 1945. It demonstrates how the resurgence of political violence …

Arete In Education: A Phenomenology On Virtue Cultivation In Classical Christian Schools, Jeffrey D. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of educational leaders in classical Christian schools with the cultivation of virtue as the primary purpose of education. The concept guiding this study is Aristotelian virtue ethics, from which spring virtue theory and positive organizational scholarship. The Aristotelian worldview drives the assertion among classical Christian educators that education is defined as the cultivation of virtue. The central research question for this study is “What are the lived experiences of classical Christian educational leaders in cultivating virtue in their students?” The study of classical Christian educational leaders’ views about …

Maintaining Stability Of Digital Twin Enabled Offshore Wind Farm (Owf) By Fuzzy Logic Controller., Yamini Gaddam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

ABSTRACT Offshore wind farms are increasingly and rapidly expanding due to its ability to harness strong and consistent wind energy resources. Large offshore wind farms are connected to mainland grids through High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology. However, offshore wind farms can often experience disturbances related to sudden wind changes, voltage drops/dips, faults related to converter switching, and unbalanced grid conditions which affect both the HVDC operation and wind turbine output. As a result, there is a growing need for more advanced and reliable modeling and monitoring tools. Moreover, traditional proportional-integral (PI) controllers are widely applied in wind turbines and HVDC …