Digital Commons Network^™

Improved Understanding Of Microplastic Transport In Agricultural Farms And Its Environmental Impact, Alireza Bakhshaee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The global escalation of plastic production has led to widespread microplastic (MP) contamination across terrestrial and aquatic environments, posing a growing environmental challenge. MPs, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, originate from the degradation of larger plastics as well as from direct inputs such as synthetic fibers, biosolids, and agricultural mulching films. Despite their ubiquity, limited knowledge exists regarding their behavior in soils and their influence on soil–water–plant interactions. This dissertation addresses this gap through an integrated series of controlled laboratory experiments and modeling analyses that examine how MPs modify soil–water–plant dynamics, how they are transported through infiltration …

Situated Learning And Social Capital In Rural Appalachia: An Ethic Of Care Among Women, Erika Marie Adams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this narrative study was to describe how older women of rural Appalachia learned their cultural ways of care and caregiving. Using Situated Learning (Lave & Wenger, 1999; Lave, 2019), Care Focused Feminism (Noddings, 1984, 2002) and Bonding Social Capital (Putnam, 2000) theories, four women of rural Appalachia narrated stories from all stages of life. Findings supported the presence of Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) (Lave & Wenger, 1991) as the primary method of learning as the women learned types of care and caregiving while in participation with family and friends. Types of care analyzed from the narratives were …

Assessing Culinary Education With A Gardening Component In Children Ages 7-13, Cassy Tigner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Abstract Background Culinary education with a gardening component teaches individuals how to cook and grow their own food. The findings of this study are intended to assess the effectiveness of culinary education in children on healthy eating patterns and lifestyle changes. Objective The research aims to determine how effective Camp Chef, a culinary education camp with a gardening component, is at changing the lifestyle habits of children aged 7-13. Study Design Children in Shelby County, Tennessee completed one week of Camp Chef. Their healthy lifestyle habits were surveyed before and after camp. Participants There were 48 children, ages 7-13, that …

Letter From The Editors, Larissa Oliveira Pires, Selcuk Dogan, Hui Jin, Joe Pellegrino

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This letter introduces the second issue in volume 19 of the International Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ijSoTL). It considers the changing state of SoTL as a discipline and the factors driving those changes, then presents the articles in this issue as they represent those trends.

Ethical Tensions In The Ethics Review Of Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning Projects: Revealing Values From A Health Faculty In Aotearoa New Zealand., Amanda B. Lees, Rosemary Godbold, Simon Walters

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This study employed a case study approach to explore ethical conduct in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) research. Originating within biomedical research, the remit of ethics review bodies now commonly extends to assessing SoTL projects. Set within a health faculty at a university in Aotearoa New Zealand, we examined student and academic perspectives on ethical conduct in SoTL research to gauge how their values align with those who decide on ethical standards of research involving them. Drawing on reflexive thematic analysis, our findings reflect tensions between the relational and cultural values of SoTL and the biomedically based values of …

Purposeful Presence: Faculty Perspectives On Social Presence In Online Learning, Thomas D. Dyer

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Social presence is a critical component of effective online education, fostering engagement, connection, and a sense of community among students and instructors. This qualitative descriptive study explored how online faculty conceptualize and operationalize social presence in their virtual classrooms. Through interviews and focus groups, faculty described practices that cultivated connection, responsiveness, and authentic interaction. The findings informed the development of the Social Presence Literacy Framework (SPLF), which offers a lens for understanding the varied ways instructors approach presence in online environments. This study provides insights for professional development and instructional design by grounding pedagogical strategies in the lived experiences of …

The Impacts Of A First-Year Seminar On Academic And Career Planning And Community Building For Geoscience Students, Elizabeth D. Crook, Julie E. Ferguson

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Retention of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields, particularly of traditionally underrepresented groups, remains a nationally recognized concern. Many studies have shown that first-year seminars can have a positive effect on a student’s transition to college, persistence in their chosen degrees, and ultimate success and retention in the geosciences and other related STEM fields. We created a one-unit first-year seminar to assist our geoscience students with academic and career planning, increase student awareness of opportunities on campus, and increase a sense of belonging in their major. We present pre and post survey data to assess the effectiveness …

Examining The Motivational Climate In An Anatomy Course: Instructional Practices To Engage Students In Learning, Emily M. Holt Foerst, Brett D. Jones, Meghan Byrnes

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Anatomy education presents a complex motivational environment, yet little is known about how medical students experience this climate. Grounded in the MUSIC Model of Motivation framework, this study explored students’ perceptions of the motivational climate in a first-year medical anatomy course. Using a mixed-methods design, we surveyed students early in the course and conducted interviews following course completion. Although students reported strong Caring perceptions on the survey, their Empowerment, Usefulness, Success, and Interest perceptions were more variable, and some were suboptimal. Interview findings revealed specific instructional practices (e.g., lecture format, lab group dynamics, alignment with clinical goals) that either supported …

Fostering Intercultural Competence In Healthcare: Insights From An Online Audiology Course, Lata A. Krishnan, Aparajita Jaiswal, Sakhi Aggrawal

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Intercultural competence (ICC) is essential for students, particularly in healthcare, to provide culturally responsive care. This study examines the integration of intercultural learning (ICL) activities in a fully online, asynchronous 300-level undergraduate audiology course. Pre- and post-test data from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI®) revealed a significant increase in ICC among senior students, while non-seniors showed no measurable change. Qualitative analysis of final reflections supported these findings, with seniors articulating deeper intercultural insights. These results suggest that ICC development may vary based on academic level and prior experience. Additionally, intentionally structured interventions aligned with students’ prior experiences could further enhance …

A Multi-Case Study Of Peer Tutoring Programs: Program Structure, Faculty-Tutor Partnerships, And Access To Instructional Knowledge, Becky W. Packard, Amanda Xu, Teah Shi

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Peer tutors make important contributions within higher education institutions, yet the tutoring program structures vary widely with regard to how tutors are positioned, which in turn, affords and constrains access to instructional knowledge. Using a multi-case method, this study contrasts the structures of four tutoring programs: two programs within a private four-year college and two programs within a public two-year college. Two primary factors, the nature of faculty-tutor partnership and connection to a peer mentoring community, were examined and found to shape access to instructional knowledge. In addition, the results suggested that tutor prior experience as students in courses, experience …

Influence Of A High-Impact Practice Government Course On Retention, Graduation, Gpa, And Student Integration Among First-Time-In-College (Ftic) Students, Amy L. O'Dell

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Just over half of the students who start a bachelor’s degree in the United States, fail to complete it within four years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). As a result, millions of people with some college no credential (SCNC) struggle with student loan debt, lower income, and the threat of default. In response, many colleges and universities are using high-impact practice (HIP) classroom pedagogy to help more students persist and graduate. This study investigated the effect of a HIP government course, known as Town Hall, on first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at a mid-sized, rural, R2 university in the southern United …

Community College Students' Experiences With The Syllabus: A Qualitative Study, Diego Pliego, Abby Kaplan

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Most existing literature on college students’ use of the course syllabus has been conducted in artificial settings, collected a limited range of data, or both. This study addresses this gap in the literature with a series of in-depth qualitative interviews with students at a community college about how they interact with a syllabus from one of their current classes. We find that most students report reading at least part of the syllabus, most often the calendar and information on grading. Students are most likely to read information specific to the class and are least likely to read general college information …

Beyond The Mic: Fostering Critical Consciousness Through Podcasting In A Social Foundations Of Education Course, Jacob Kelley

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This article contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning by examining the ways in which a podcast project facilitated the development of critical consciousness among pre-service teachers in an undergraduate social foundations of education course at a research university in the southeastern United States. It draws on data generated using semi-structured interviews with 10 pre-service teachers across two semesters of the course who completed the podcast project. Using inductive thematic analysis, I identified four themes in this case study: (1) Personal Experiences as Catalysts for Critical Consciousness, (2) Dialogical Learning as a Pathway to Critical Consciousness, (3) Grappling with …

Humeral Head Retroversion On A Contemporary Skeletal Population With Known Physical Activity To Investigate The Differential Expressions Of Biological Sex, Elizabeth Hightower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Retroversion is an angled measurement of the humerus that is indicative of habitual overhand activity. Elevated retroversion measurements (in degrees) indicate overhand activity. Overhand activity indicates subsistence gathering from spear or atlatl throwing. Most retroversion research is conducted in populations where men perform more physically demanding labor. Therefore, bioarchaeologists are producing the same data over and over. Additionally, contemporary retroversion data is used as comparative figures. These subjects range from youth to professional baseball players, but the data on women is nearly obsolete. Bioarchaeology needs contemporary female retroversion data. Research was conducted at the University of Tennessee Knoxville where humeral …

Conflict, Hamdy A. Abdelrahman Hassan

All Works

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of Therapist Discomfort In The Treatment Of Problematic Pornography Use, Yehudah Alcabes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent that discomfort occurs within therapists’ while treating Problematic Pornography Use (PPU). The study, predicated on the qualitative research design of thematic analysis, utilized semi-structured interviews with a sample of n=15 therapists to explore the following questions: (1) How do therapists describe discomfort in the treatment of PPU? (2) How do therapists experience discomfort in the treatment of PPU? And (3) How do therapists manage discomfort in the treatment of PPU? The findings of this study demonstrate the need to understand the unique nature of therapist discomfort in PPU. This study’s …

Prognosis And Treatment Response Stratification According To Loss Of Proofreading (Lop), Giulia Maddalena, Fadl A Zeineddine, Saikat Chowdhury, Mohammad A Zeineddine, Abdelrahman M Yousef, Sara Lonardi, Michael Geoffrey White, Michael J Overman, Scott Kopetz, John Paul Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Only a subset of polymerase epsilon (POLE) mutations is associated with hypermutant phenotype; we hypothesized that only loss-of-proofreading (LOP) POLE mutations are associated with favorable immunotherapy response.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a pan-cancer cohort of 69,223 patients from cBioPortal and a cohort of patients with 41 POLE mutant metastatic colorectal (CRC) treated with immunotherapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between January 2017 and May 2023. We evaluated prognosis according to POLE mutation functionality.

Results: In the pan-cancer cBioPortal cohort (n=69,223) POLE was mutated in 2.8% (1,965) of tumors; of these, only 7.5% (n=148) had …

Sex Differences In Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease Patterns, Kazumasa Ikeda, Daniel Munhoz, Sofie Brouwers, Jeroen Sonck, Hitoshi Matsuo, Toshiro Shinke, Hirohiko Ando, Brian Ko, Simone Biscaglia, Fernando Rivero, Thomas Engstrøm, Ketina Arslani, Antonio Maria Leone, Domenico Galante, Lokien X Van Nunen, William F Fearon, Evald Høj Christiansen, Stephane Fournier, Liyew Desta, Andy Yong, Julien Adjedj, Javier Escaned, Masafumi Nakayama, Ashkan Eftekhari, Frederik M Zimmermann, Koshiro Sakai, Tatyana Storozhenko, Bruno R Da Costa, Gianluca Campo, Colin Berry, Damien Collison, Thomas Johnson, Tetsuya Amano, Divaka Perera, Allen Jeremias, Ziad Ali, Bernard De Bruyne, Frederic Bouisset, Takashi Kubo, Nobuhiro Tanaka, Kazuhiro Satomi, Nils P Johnson, Carlos Collet, Takuya Mizukami

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Sex differences in coronary artery disease (CAD) have been increasingly recognized, as women present with distinct clinical characteristics and outcomes compared with men. This study investigated the impact of sex on pathophysiological CAD patterns (focal versus diffuse) in stable patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

Methods: We conducted a subanalysis of the PPG Global (Pullback Pressure Gradient Global Registry) study, a multicenter, prospective trial including 993 patients (236 [23.8%] women and 757 [76.2%] men) with hemodynamically significant CAD, defined as fractional flow reserve ≤0.80. The pullback pressure gradient metric categorized CAD patterns as focal or diffuse. Patient-reported outcomes were …

Vessel-Specific Myocardial Mass In Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease, Nikolaos Stalikas, Takuya Mizukami, Frederic Bouisset, Kazumasa Ikeda, Atomu Tajima, Daniel Munhoz, Thabo Mahendiran, Adriaan Wilgenhof, Koshiro Sakai, Bjarne Noorgard, Thomas Engstroem, Jonathon Leipsic, Giulio Stefanini, Antonio Bartorelli, Timothy Fairbairn, Alan Bagnall, Brian Ko, Nils P Johnson, Colin Berry, Divaka Perera, Evald Høj Christiansen, Toshiro Shinke, Hiromase Otake, Bon Kwon Koo, Emanuele Barbato, Salvatore Brugaletta, Damien Collison, Gianluca Campo, Eric Van Belle, Tommaso Goori, Lokien Van Nunen, Adam Witkowski, Patricio Astudillo, James Spratt, Tetsuya Amano, Hirohiko Ando, Georgios Sianos, Jeroen Sonck, Daniele Andreini, Bernard De Bruyne, Carlos Collet

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Assessing the myocardial mass at risk is essential in evaluating patients with coronary artery disease. This study aims to establish reference values for vessel-specific myocardial mass derived from coronary computed tomography angiography, providing a quantitative assessment of the myocardial mass subtended by each epicardial vessel.

Methods: Left ventricular (LV) and vessel-specific myocardial mass were calculated from coronary computed tomography angiography using the Voronoi method in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Myocardial mass was quantified for each epicardial coronary artery with a diameter >1.5 mm.

Results: We included 948 patients with 9228 epicardial coronary artery branches. Mean age was …

Read The Data For Diverse Truths-And Quantitative Myocardial Perfusion Versus Angiography

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Wave Overtopping Across A Coastal Structure Based On One Year Of Field Observations, Jennifer Brown, Gerd Masselink, Margaret Yelland, Christopher Stokes, Timothy Poate, Robin Pascal, David Jones, John Walk, Christopher Cardwell, Barry Martin, Peter Ganderton, Julie Gregory, Ruth Adams, Joseff Saunders

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coastal managers worldwide must prepare for changes in annual wave overtopping events due to climate change and sea-level rise. Research often assesses overtopping discharges by extreme events at a sea wall crest, typically using data from physical models or empirical rules based on scaled experiments. Here, we analyse a unique 1-year field dataset of coastal wave overtopping, from SW England, to determine the number of individual waves, regardless of their size, overtopping two locations across a coastal structure. The coastal conditions causing the most frequent overtopping differ from those driving it landward, complicating hazard communications for multiuse infrastructure. These data …

The Impact Of Domed Architecture On The Architectural Character Of Western Desert Oases, Nader Mohamed Gharib, Mo’Men Abdelqader, Yousab Magdy Shafik

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The visual disharmony arising from the indiscriminate and architecturally unplanned integration of curved roofing elements, notably domes, into the built environment of the Western Desert oases has become a significant issue, particularly in the Siwa Oasis, where the adoption of domed architecture was first introduced in the village of Jafar in 1997. This research delves into a detailed study that focuses on how pivotal historical, cultural, environmental, aesthetic, functional, and technical factors have crucially shaped the widespread integration of these iconic curved roofing superstructures in the oases' architectural heritage over generations, contributing to the uniquely recognizable architectural character and sense …

Staff Education To Reduce The Incidence Of Central Line Infections In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Khldon Hassan Al-Omari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project aimed to reduce the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) by educating clinical staff on the importance of hand hygiene and bundle compliance. Despite established guidelines, CLABSI remains a significant issue in healthcare, particularly in PICUs, where patients are at higher risk for infections. The practice-focused question guiding the project was: How does staff education on hand hygiene and CLABSI bundle compliance impact the prevention of CLABSI in the PICU? Twenty-five PICU nurses participated in the educational sessions. Analytical strategies included pretests and …

Integrating Successful Advanced Technology Adoption Strategies In Organizational Human Resource Management, Darnetta P. Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human resource (HR) leaders in medium- to large-sized organizations across the Northeast United States continue to experience challenges when adopting advanced HR technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, blockchain, and cloud-based systems. HR leaders are concerned about employee resistance to change, limited training resources, and financial constraints, which hinder employee engagement and operational efficiency. Grounded in diffusion of innovations theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the strategies HR leaders implement to successfully integrate advanced HR technologies while maintaining workforce engagement and performance. The participants included six HR leaders from diverse industries with successful experience in …

Reduce Readmission Among Patients Within 60 Days Of Discharge In A Behavioral Health Unit, Iretioluwa Emmanuella Adeniran-Adetoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice project focused on a staff education initiative to reduce 60-day readmission rates in a behavioral health unit within a hospital. The project was staff focused, emphasizing the provision of training to the nursing staff to effectively design the discharge planning of patients by actively involving them in the discharge plans. The purpose was to provide nurses with the necessary skills and knowledge to strengthen discharge planning and directly influence patient outcomes. Addressing the practice problem was an urgent need because patients in the behavioral health unit were at increased risk of readmission. The main factors …

Child Poverty: Understanding The Emotional Labor Of Social Work Professionals, Aamir Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child Poverty: Understanding the Emotional Labor of Social Work Professionals by Aamir Terry MSW, Walden University 2019 BS, Central State University 2008 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Social Work Walden University November 2025

The Experiences Of African Americans Seeking Health Care Services, Sandy Latreice Sullivan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health care experiences are shaped by life events and cultural background, making engagement with providers individualized. African Americans have historically reported distrust of health professionals due to targeted mistreatment. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of middle-aged African American adults receiving care from non-African American health care providers. Rosenstock’s health belief model was the framework for the study. Nine participants were recruited from social media using purposeful sampling. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews held on Zoom. Saldana’s four-step qualitative data analysis process was utilized to analyze the data. The results of the data …

African Americans’ Perceptions Of The Impact Of Childhood Community Violence And Historical Oppression On Parenting, Iyabo Adediran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have detrimental impacts on lifelong functioning. Although African Americans experience disproportionately higher rates of community violence, one type of ACE, the potential long-term impacts of exposure to such violence and of historical oppression on their parenting practices in adulthood, was little understood. In this qualitative study, an ethnographic approach was used to explore African American parents’ perceptions of how early exposure to community violence (before age of 18) and the intergenerational transmission of historical oppression influenced their current parenting practices. The conceptual framework, which integrated Engel’s biopsychosocial model and Bowen’s family systems theory, provided a …

Middle-Class Black Women, The Strong Black Women Role, And Seeking Treatment For Depression, Kendra Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored how middle-class Black women perceive seeking mental health treatment for depression while identifying with the Strong Black Woman (SBW) role. This study investigated how middle-class Black women perceive seeking mental health treatment for depression while identifying with the Strong Black Woman role and how they interpret this role in relation to coping with depression. Guided by a social constructionist framework, the study used a qualitative design. Eight women who identified as middle-class, experienced depression, and endorsed the SBW role participated in semi-structured interviews. Braun and Clarke’s six phase thematic analysis revealed six themes: therapy as cultural …

Faculty Perceptions Of Efforts To Address The Underrepresentation Of Minority Full-Time Faculty In U.S. Nursing Programs, Akua Oxendine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study is that, despite longstanding efforts to promote diversity in higher education, faculty from racial and ethnic minorities remain underrepresented in nursing programs in the United States. Guided by critical race theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nursing faculty perceptions of the effectiveness and challenges of institutional efforts to address underrepresentation. Using purposive sampling, 12 nursing faculty members with knowledge of or experience with diversity initiatives were recruited as participants. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. Through a six-phase thematic analysis, nursing faculty identified five critical insights: (a) diversity messaging often …