Digital Commons Network^™

A Strategic Research Project Exploring An African American Church’S Engagement In Public And Nonprofit Healthcare Partnerships, Josephine Louise Evans

Transformations

This Strategic Research Project examines how churches engage in public and nonprofit healthcare partnerships to address community health disparities and strengthen congregational well-being. Guided by organizational leadership principles and supported by frameworks such as the Social Ecological Model, change theory, and systems thinking, the study explores the perceptions, experiences, and decision-making processes of pastoral leaders involved in cross-sector collaboration. Using a mixed-methods design, the research analyzes qualitative insights from leadership interviews alongside quantitative data on community health trends to identify facilitators, barriers, and perceived effectiveness of these partnerships. Findings reveal that trust building, cultural competence, shared mission alignment, and resource …

The Role Of Trauma-Informed Care In Supporting At-Risk Students In Alternative Education, Jar'mel D. Taylor Dr.

Transformations

Students with traumatic experiences commonly fail to meet educational goals and control their emotions while also losing their involvement in classes. Standard trauma-informed care practices remain absent from numerous alternative educational institutions, which leaves their teaching community without adequate support to help traumatized students effectively. The application of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) strategies toward student outcomes requires investigation to develop effective educational approaches that enhance school success. The researcher used qualitative exploratory case study methodology to study TIC practices in alternative education for Black and Brown adolescent students (aged 12–18) in Washington, D.C. Semi-structured interviews and a focus group with 16 …

Assessment Of Parents' Informational Needs Before Pediatric Day Care Surgery In Makkah City, Saudi Arabia, Ammar H. Habiballah, Raghad Y. Shosho, Raed M. Babukur, Sultan M. Banser, Sarah S. Almohammadi, Muhannad M. Alharbi, Thekra A. Alwafi, Shahad S. Alkabkabi, Raed F. Alsufi

Saudi Toxicology Journal

Introduction Pediatric surgical procedures can be highly stressful for children and their parents due to factors such as limited understanding, lack of control, and anxiety. The study aims to assess the informational needs of parents of children scheduled to undergo day care surgery in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted over six months. The study included parents or caregivers of children scheduled for day care surgery in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia.A convenient sampling techniques was used for participant selection. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results The study included 380 participants and assessed parental informational needs …

Corazón De Nopal, Alma De Monarca: The Invisible Workforce, Vanessa Estrada Garza

McNair Summer Research Program

In many parts of the United States, Day Laborers, people who work for a daily wage, congregate in front of home improvement stores in the hopes that the customers buying materials are also in need of labor. Day laborers, who are mostly Latino men, experience a plethora of adversities (e.g., wage theft, discrimination based on status or race, on-site injuries). However, it is also important to understand day laborers’ experiences within the current sociopolitical climate (Fernandez-Esquer et al., 2022; Ramirez, 2011; Ordoñez, 2015; Walter et al., 2004). At times the stories and humanity of these individuals outside of their labor …

65th Annual Rocky Mountain Conference On Magnetic Resonance

Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance

Conference program, abstracts, and information about the 65th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance. Held in the Snowbird Resort and Conference Center, Snowbird, Utah, August 2-6, 2026.

A Coupled Reaction-Diffusion Model Of Promoting And Suppressing Interactions Among Cancer Hallmarks In Endometrial Cancer, Jeddy Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

Spatial transcriptomics enables the scoring of Cancer Hallmarks at a high resolution across a tissue biopsy, yet current analyses of these data remain largely descriptive, treating each spot as a static, independent observation. This thesis develops a coupled system of advection-diffusion-reaction partial differential equations to model the hallmark landscape as the steady-state solution of an underlying spatial process, and casts the recovery of its physical parameters as a PDE-constrained inverse problem. The framework is implemented in FEniCSx on tissue-specific finite element meshes derived from two endometrial cancer biopsies provided by the Huntsman Cancer Institute, with subdomains, boundary interfaces, and an …

Sand Distribution On Titan And Implications For Sand Transport And Interconnectedness Of Sand Seas, Delaney Rose

Theses and Dissertations

The vast equatorial sand seas of Saturn's moon Titan are of particular interest for understanding surface processes and the budget of organic materials on Titan's surface. Previous studies have described sand dune morphology, transport, collection, and distribution patterns utilizing Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. Studies have also shown evidence both for and against a global interconnected system of sand transport between Titan's major sand seas. This study worked both to create a higher resolution dataset of sand distribution using trimodal thresholding techniques applied to SAR images, as well …

2026 August 6 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Medical Tourism Patient Guidance: A Content Analysis Of Risk Reduction Guidelines Available To Global Health Seekers., Alicia Mason, Angela Ashmore

Faculty Submissions

This study examines medical tourism (MT) patient guidance messages intended to reduce procedural risks—those directly related to biomedical treatments—and process risks, which involve logistical, administrative, and interpersonal challenges of seeking healthcare abroad. The analysis focuses on print and digital publications authored by individuals independent of the MT industry, including policy researchers, travel health experts, lifestyle reporters, and consumer-focused medical travel writers. Using a two-phase digital and database search strategy, 27 publications from 2009 to 2024 were identified and analyzed using exploratory content analysis methods. Findings reveal important differences in the scope and depth of guidance aimed at reducing risks for …

Sidama Women's Perceptions Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting And Marital Fidelity, Mekonnen Doyamo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) affects women from the Sidama region of Ethiopia differently from women in other parts of Ethiopia, which results in different physical and psychological consequences. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore why the Sidama people’s FGM/C custom differs from that of other parts of Ethiopia. A case study methodology was used to answer the following research question: How does the practice of FGM/C among the Sidama people in Ethiopia differ from that in other regions regarding its cultural significance and rituals? Moreover, how do community attitudes and beliefs surrounding FGM/C among the Sidama …

Leveraging Innovation And Resilience: A Qualitative Project Of Mid-Level Managers Driving Business Performance In Multinational Corporations, Karla Karey Diaz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee underdevelopment in multinational corporations (MNCs) can weaken the organization’s agility and competitive advantage in the global market. Mid-level managers must be leveraged effectively, as this level of management holds primary adaptive responsibility for building, integrating, and reconfiguring resources during organizational change. Grounded in the dynamic capabilities theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore effective strategies mid-level managers in MNCs use to improve dynamic capabilities. Participants were 10 U.S.-based MNC mid-level managers with experience using strategies to improve dynamic capabilities. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available documents, including strategic plans, …

General Education Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Supporting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Inclusive Elementary Mainstream Classrooms In Central California, Leah Blake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was a gap in practice about general education teachers’ support of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in inclusive elementary mainstream classrooms in Central California, where regional inclusion rates fall below state and national averages. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning, the purpose of the study was to explore general education teachers’ perceptions regarding inclusion and recommended support for students with ASD in inclusive elementary mainstream classrooms. For this basic qualitative study, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 general education teachers who taught grades 1 through 6. Through open, in vivo, and subsequent axial …

Implementation Of A Fall-Prevention Clinical Practice Guideline In A Neurological Rehabilitation Center, Ron L. Adolph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This executive summary presents the final plan for implementation of an evidence-based fall-prevention clinical practice guideline on an open neurological rehabilitation unit. It does not propose a new device, a new electronic platform, or a separate education-only initiative. The practice change is the implementation and evaluation of a structured interdisciplinary clinical practice guideline designed to reduce inpatient falls and improve the reliability of daily prevention practices. The unit reports a baseline fall rate of 6.3 falls per 1,000 patient days. Thirty-five staff members from nursing, therapy, and support roles completed the survey, and 57% reported that patients had experienced falls …

Lived Experience Of Secondary School Teachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Diane R. Lovett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of secondary school teachers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly focusing on their challenges during the transition back to in-person instruction after teaching online. The purpose of this phenomenological study explored the experiences of U.S. secondary teachers during the onset of COVID-19, the shift to virtual teaching, and the return to in-person instruction. The study was grounded in Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory, specifically the concept of observational learning and self-efficacy, to understand how teachers learned from peer successes and challenges during the transition to virtual learning and when returning to …

Cultural Integration Of Ethiopian Immigrants And Refugees And Role Of Ethnic Nonprofits In Chicago, Aklilu Abraham Adeye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the availability of institutional services and interventions, cultural integration outcomes among refugees and immigrants often remain uneven. Existing literature has demonstrated the important role of nonprofit organizations in supporting refugee and immigrant resettlement and early integration. However, comparatively little research has examined how refugees and immigrants themselves experience the influence of nonprofit services on long-term cultural integration. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore how nonprofit services and programs influence the cultural integration experiences of Ethiopian refugees and immigrants in Chicago through the lens of the new assimilation theory and the integration context perspective. Data were …

Staff Education On Evidence-Based Weight Management Strategies For Adults With Mental Health Disorders And Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Abimbola Oluwafunmilayo Somoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summary The type of project is a staff education project, specifically on evidence-based weight loss strategies that the facility can use to manage adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and co-morbid mental health disorder(s). The evidence-based practice (EBP) question is: Does educating staff on weight loss strategies for T2DM with mental health disorder(s) improve staff knowledge and confidence within one month of staff education program implementation? The facility’s staff managed these patients using standardized diabetes management practices and have no formal staff education program that focuses on evidence-based weight loss strategies for this population. The staff has a vast …

The Impact Of Sexual Harassment Policy Strictness And Supervisory Support On Reporting Behavior In Local, County, And State Female Law Enforcement Officers In Northeastern Kansas, Cleora Maxine Tousey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative study examined the impact of stricter sexual harassment policies with protections against retaliation and stronger supervisory support on the likelihood that female law enforcement officers would report incidents of sexual harassment by male colleagues. The problem addressed was the underreporting of sexual harassment in policing, a critical issue given the negative impact on victims and workplace culture. Connell’s theory of masculinity served as the theoretical framework, indicating how traditional power dynamics may negatively influence the likelihood of reporting. Using a correlational design, this study surveyed municipal, county, and state female officers in Northeastern Kansas to measure their perceptions …

The Relative Strength Of Justice-Related Satisfaction, Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs, And Self-Compassion In Predicting Perceived Control Over Stressful Events, Katherine Mooney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coercive control and domestic violence perpetrated by men against women are global social problems sustained by patriarchal norms that normalize gender-based violence. These norms often contribute to victims' maladaptive self-beliefs, leading women to believe they provoked the abuse. When survivors seek legal protection, they may experience revictimization through legal processes that minimize their claims and enable perpetrators to continue exerting power and control through the justice system. As a result, dissatisfaction with the legal system may reinforce self-blame, while low self-compassion may further undermine women's perceived control over stressful events in both the short and long term. While previous research …

Implementing Routine Trauma Screening Using The Ace Questionnaire And Pcl-5, Esther Amune

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This evaluation of a quality improvement initiative addressed inconsistent trauma screening and electronic documentation at an outpatient site. The baseline trauma-screening completion rate was 60%, below the organization's 80% target. The gap was relevant to nursing because nurses support screening, documentation, referral, coordination, and follow-up. The practice-focused question addressed whether the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), or PCL-5, would improve documented screening completion and trauma-informed treatment planning over 10 weeks. The purpose was to incorporate both tools into care and …

Effective Leadership Strategies For Sustaining Radiology Departments During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tameron Shanay Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pandemic-driven workforce challenges highlighted the urgent need for radiology leaders to retain skilled staff and sustain service delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic raised considerable concerns for radiology leaders regarding future preparedness for patient safety, care outcomes, hospital expenses, and hospital profitability. Grounded in the Vroom expectancy theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore successful strategies radiology department leaders used to retain employees, improve supply inventory management, and develop ambulatory and virtual services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with six successful radiology leaders and publicly accessible documents in northern Louisiana. The …

How Texas Early Childhood Teachers Collaborate To Support Students With Disabilities, Anna Weathers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was it was not known how Texas early childhood special education (EGSE) teachers and early childhood general education (ECGE) teachers use collaboration to identify, place, and support students with disabilities (SWDs). Framed by Colby’s collaboration theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Texas ECSE and ECGE teachers when collaborating regarding identification, placement, and support for SWDs. Data were collected in semstructured interviews with 11 ECSE and 11 ECGE teachers who taught in Texas early childhood settings. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with open coding, leading to …

Improving Pcu Nurses’ Knowledge Of Evidence-Based Mindfulness Techniques Through Targeted Education, Dairia Moore Mohammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The progressive care unit (PCU) is a high-acuity setting in which nurses manage patients with complex health conditions, respond to rapid changes in clinical status, and navigate ongoing physical and emotional demands. The practice problem that I addressed was, presently, stress-management support is typically informal, optional, and reactive rather than systematic, evidence-based, and preventive. The purpose of this project was to implement and evaluate a structured educational intervention designed to increase nurses’ knowledge of evidence-based mindfulness breathing techniques that could be integrated into the daily PCU workflow. The practice-focused question was: In PCU nurses in an acute care setting, how …

A Comprehensive In-Silico Pipeline For The Discovery Of Non-Toxic, Stable Antimicrobial Peptides From Databases For Targeting Multi-Drug Resistant K. Pneumoniae, Pranab D. Sharma, Abdullah A. Noman, Al Hafiz

Faculty Articles

The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae has significantly reduced the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics, highlighting the need for alternative therapeutic strategies. This study employed a comprehensive in silico pipeline to identify antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) targeting the essential DNA replication initiator protein DnaA. A total of 28,361 peptide sequences were collected from publicly available AMP databases and sequentially filtered based on peptide length, net charge, GRAVY score, instability index, antimicrobial activity, toxicity, hemolytic potential, aggregation propensity, sequence similarity and favorable amphipathic properties. Four peptides satisfied all selection criteria and were subjected to structural prediction, membrane-binding analysis, protein–DNA docking, protein–peptide docking, …

Relationship Of Covid-19-Related Racial Discrimination And Oppressed Identities On Chinese American Mental Health, Allison A. Fong

Doctoral Dissertations

Although anti-Asian hate has been present throughout history, the country witnessed an uptick in race-based violence and discrimination against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing the framework of intersectionality, this quantitative cross-sectional study aimed to capture the additive impact of various forms of oppression, including COVID-19-related racial discrimination, on levels of depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction in Chinese American college students (n = 35) in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Within this relationship, bicultural identity integration was also explored as a possible moderator. Although regression analysis did not show significant relationships between COVID-19-related racial discrimination and intersectional discrimination …

Impact Of Electronic Health Records On Nursing In Low-And Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review, Wahab Osman, Kimberley Widger, Alexandra Harris, Vida N. Yakong, Charlene Chu, Stephanie Asah-Ofori

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Electronic health records (EHR) are increasingly being implemented in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), a significant shift from paper-based documentation, with goals to enhance clinical decision-making (1-5). However, implementation challenges such as lack of technical skills, funding constraints, and equipment issues exist (2-4). Furthermore, there is a lack of research focused on the impact of EHR implementation on nurses in LMIC, despite the critical role of nursing documentation on care decisions and planning (1-5).

Aims: To map evidence and identify research gaps from primary studies on the impact of electronic health records on nursing care in LMIC from 2015 …

Characterizing Stigma In Congenital Heart Disease: A Scoping Review, Tieghan Killackey, Valerie Tan, Mark Sochaniwskyj, Maryjo Antonio, Mohit Prashar, Ashley Farrell

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital malformation in Canada with a prevalence of 1.3%. (1) While medical advancements have improved survival rates, individuals with CHD have reported experiencing social exclusion, isolation, discrimination and bullying due to their condition, which impacts their social, professional, and emotional well-being.(2,3) This type of stigmatization can impact mental health, treatment adherence, and quality of life in patients (4); however limited research has focused on the experience of stigma in patients with CHD.

The purpose of the scoping review is to synthesize evidence on the various manifestations of stigma in the lives of …

Male Partners' Experiences During Their Spouses' Menopausal Transition, Veronica Adwoa Agyare, Martha Yawa Benti, Martha Atiemo

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Menopause involves a range of physical, emotional, behavioural and physiological changes that may affect the quality of life of women and their partners. Usually, men endure in silence and seem invisible. Evidence shows a dearth of literature on men’s perspectives regarding their spouses’ menopause in Sub-Saharan Africa (Zhang et al., 2020; Matina et al., 2025). The study explored Ghanaian men’s experiences during their spouses menopausal transition.

Method: The study utilised an exploratory, descriptive qualitative approach to understand the phenomenon. Thirteen men living with wives experiencing menopause involved in the study based on information power. Interviews were conducted face-to-face and …

Using Environmental Dna (Edna) As A Tool To Detect Sharks And Rays Along The Coast Of Quintana Roo, Mexico, Sara T. Norment

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Elasmobranchs play a critical ecological role in marine environments, yet many populations worldwide remain poorly known and monitored. This is particularly true in Mexico despite its high biodiversity and ongoing fishing pressures. Traditional monitoring methods, such as commercial fisheries and fishery-independent surveys using longlines or nets, are often limited, leaving important knowledge gaps. Previous studies have shown that environmental DNA (eDNA), small traces of DNA left behind in the water column from feces, skin, or mucus, is a transformative, non-invasive tool for detecting elasmobranch presence and diversity across marine ecosystems.

This project used eDNA metabarcoding to detect and identify elasmobranch …

Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching For Heterogeneous Integration And Advanced Processing, Sami Znati

Theses

Emerging and existing technologies will require novel approaches to continue advances in development. Heterogeneous integration of next generation materials, such as 2-D materials and III-V semiconductors, onto existing platforms is a critical step to enabling new, better performing devices. Microtransfer printing (µTP) is a promising technique for integrating device coupons onto supportive platforms. InP coupons are integrated into mixed-dimensional structures by printing onto 2-D materials as part of an electronic device. Etching of next generation materials to define device structures is an integral part of any process. Catalytic wet etching is an alternative to dry etching that may offer improvements …

Development And Evaluation Of Personalised Post-Diagnostic Dementia Support Based In Primary Care: The D-Pact Research Programme, Tomasina M. Oh, Hannah Wheat, Richard Byng, Sarah Morgan-Trimmer, Michael Clark, Sarah Griffiths, Paul Clarkson, Victoria Allgar, Angela Bate, Saqba Batool, Rebecca Beresford, Noor Butt, Joseph Coombes, Siobhan Creanor, Sonia Dalkin, Zoe Doran, Nicolas Farina, Leanne Greene, Alex Gude, Margaret Hart, Jane Horrell, Basharat Hussain, Wendy Ingram, Hannah Jones, Reena Lasrado, Tanya Lee, Baber Malik, Rosemarie Mccabe, Antonieta Medina-Lara, Nia Morrish

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Dementia affects nearly 1 million people in the United Kingdom and their unpaid carers physically, psychologically, socially and economically, highlighting that both need support. Post-diagnostic support is recognised as inadequate globally. In England, it is fragmented or absent apart from primary care – leaving many feeling unsupported as the condition progresses. The Dementia PersonAlised Care Team research programme began in 2018 to address evidence gaps on the effectiveness of dementia support roles and what constitutes ‘good’ support. Objective: Dementia PersonAlised Care Team aimed to develop and evaluate an intervention comprising dementia support workers based in primary care, supporting people …