Digital Commons Network^™

Historical Context In Mathematics Education: Improving Student Engagement And Achievement, Colette Chilton-Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

There are many informational gaps in contemporary mathematics education. Students see the mathematical topics they are being taught as facts and procedures unrelated to each other or to themselves as mathematicians. Many ancient developments in the realm of mathematics are still relevant today, showcasing the needs that motivated their longstanding evolution. By including the stories behind the formulas in mathematics classrooms, students from diverse backgrounds can feel seen and connected to their education. The inclusion of the holistic background of mathematics cannot be nurtured in the classroom without buy-in on the parts of both students and instructors, as well as …

Young Adults And Early-Onset Psychosis: A Grounded Theory Study Of Experiences Of Identity Development, Katherine Hayden-Lewis, Deborah Rubel

The Qualitative Report

While identity development is a crucial task for young individuals ages 15-25, current research inadequately centralizes identity development in the context of first-time psychosis related to schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This study addresses the knowledge gap by exploring the grand research question, “How does a young person experience their identity development after the first episode of psychosis?”. Constructivist grounded theory methods influenced by critical frameworks were used to collect and analyze data with seven young adults engaged in first episode psychosis programs. Participants were young adults, between the ages of 19-24, that at the time of the study were enrolled in …

Potential Mechanisms Of Influence Between Spiritual Practices And Cognitive Health: A Systematic Review And Conceptual Model, Katherine Carroll Britt, Hayoung Oh, Augustine Cassis Obeng Boateng, Sherry Morgan, Sato Ashida, Corey Nagel, Roland J Thorpe, Harold G Koenig

Staff and Researcher Publications

Background/Objectives: This systematic review summarizes the evidence regarding potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between spiritual practices and cognitive health in adults. The review was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist.

Methods: An extensive search of six electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Sociological Abstracts, ATLA, CINAHL) was conducted using keywords related to spiritual practices, religious activities, and cognitive health from 1 January 2000 to December 2025. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal tool aligned with the study design.

Results: A total of …

A Certainty-Weighted, Belief-Based Model Of Political Attitudes: A Bayesian Analysis Of American Public Attitudes Toward The Affordable Care Act, Gabriel Miao Li, Josh Pasek, Jon A. Krosnick

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study proposes a novel, certainty-weighted account of the process by which political beliefs shape political attitudes. Building upon expectancy-value frameworks, this paper introduces belief certainty as a moderator of belief impact. A Bayesian partial-pooling approach is used to test a model positing how beliefs about what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does and does not do relate to overall attitudes toward the law. This analytic method manages the complexity of multiple potentially correlated beliefs and evaluations by imposing a structural constraint to avoid multicollinearity and enable accurate estimation of parameters. Data from a nationally representative sample survey …

Teachers’ Experiences With Physical Or Verbal Aggression In The Aftermath Of Covid-19, Juana M. Lang, Lucinda A. Hines, Karen Johnson

The Qualitative Report

This hermeneutical phenomenology study explored teachers’ lived experiences facing verbal or physical aggression from students after schools reopened post-COVID-19. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, Heider’s Attribution Theory, and Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Stress Theory, the study addressed the research question: What were teachers’ lived experiences with verbal or physical aggression from students after the first wave of COVID-19? Purposive and snowball sampling strategies were used in the study. The sample included four teachers (two middle schools and two high schools) from the Southeastern U.S. Data were collected through open-ended iterative interviews and analyzed thematically. Findings revealed four themes: teachers …

Indonesian Efl Learners’ Views Of Fondi Application Toward Speaking Performance: A Qualitative Approach, Toni Indrayadi, Suhaimi Suhaimi, Usman Usman

The Qualitative Report

This study aims to explore English department students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of Fondi Application (FA) in enhancing speaking proficiency. FA is a Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) application that provides conversations in the form of voice calls packaged like games. This qualitative approach is based on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Five selected participants with FA technology intervention were interviewed about their perception after using the application as self-learning media for two months. Five main themes emerged from the findings; FA is a potential technological tool to enhance speaking proficiency including fluency, lexical resources, grammatical accuracy, and pronunciation. The participants …

Navigating The Storm: A Qualitative Metaphor-Based Analysis Of Resilience And Identity Reconstruction Among Displaced Professionals, Erhan Atay, Serkan Bayraktaroglu, Leo Johannesberg

The Qualitative Report

Building on previous management scholarship, this paper explains how Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and metaphorical expressions inform organizational resilience and leadership communication in employee support strategies. It tries to capture the interplay between personal sensemaking and collective adaptation. The study aims to provide practitioners with hands-on insights into developing inclusion, resilience, and identity reconstruction in organizational and societal contexts of disruption. The analysis identifies three critical metaphorical themes: resilience, which is likened to "climbing a mountain;" isolation, which is likened to being "trapped in a bubble;" and identity reconstruction, which is likened to "picking up the shattered pieces of a …

Translanguaging In Indonesian Efl Classrooms: Pedagogical Insights And Student Perspectives, Fauzi Miftakh, Elih Sutisna Yanto, Annisa Fitria Harjadi

The Qualitative Report

This study investigates translanguaging practices in Indonesian secondary English classrooms and analyzes how teachers and students use multiple languages to enrich the learning experience. Drawing on observations, interviews, and field notes from two teachers and four students in West Java, the study found that translanguaging fosters student comprehension, confidence, and identity affirmation. Teachers strategically used English, Indonesian, and Sundanese to scaffold instruction across various phases, creating an inclusive learning environment. Students responded positively, pointing to a reduction in anxiety and improved participation. These findings are consistent with sociocultural learning theories and challenge monolingual ideologies. The study concludes that translanguaging is …

Cycling Network Planning Through Urban Form Analysis: A Contextual Gis Model, Nora Osama Ahmed, Rania Adham Sayed, Mona Mahrous Abdel Wahed

HBRC Journal

Promoting cycling as a sustainable mode of urban mobility requires a deep understanding of how urban form influences cyclists’ route choices. This study investigates the influence of urban form on cyclists’ route selection in an attempt to enhance context-sensitive cycling network planning. Five factors of urban form density, transportation infrastructure, housing/building type, land use, and street layout are examined to determine if any of them have a contributing factor to route selection. Based on an extensive review of the literature, the research develops an Urban Form–Cyclist Route Priority Matrix (UF-CRP Matrix) that categorizes urban conditions into three levels of desirability …

The Criteria For Identifying The Memory Of The City In Valuable Parks: Happy Land Park In Mansoura City, Esraa Ahmed Mansour, Esraa Mohamed Elazab, Sherif Ahmed Sheta

HBRC Journal

Urban memory is a complex phenomenon that develops gradually within the urban environment. However, the rapid physical changes required by today’s fast-paced world often led to the destruction of recognizable urban elements. These changes also create unfamiliar settings and erode many intangible experiences, including both positive and negative memories. Research shows that parks are among the most influential urban spaces in shaping collective memory. Even Egyptian parks designated as heritage sites suffer greatly. This status has not always ensured the preservation of their unique character. This highlights the need to review and strengthen protective laws to better maintain these parks …

High User Perception Of The Social Housing Of The State Intervenor In The South Suburban Zone, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Laura Del Carmen Moreno-Chimely, Yolanda Guadalupe Aranda-Jiménez, Carlos Alberto Fuentes-Pérez

HBRC Journal

Uninhabited social housing in the Southern Conurbation Zone of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico (Tampico, Altamira) reflects 21.19%. Currently 11.32% is located in Altamira in subdivisions built by the private sector during the facilitator state. The social housing of the public sector of the intervenor state by governmental institutions such as INFONAVIT and FOVISSSTE, located in Tampico with more than 50 years old are almost entirely inhabited even with deteriorated constructive characteristics and economic depreciation. The objective of the research is to analyze the perception of the users of the housing state intervenor prior to 1992 and state facilitator 1993–2010 …

Accuracy Of Student Career Choice: Analysis Of Interest And Personality Match In The Industry 4.0 Era, Nikon Aritonang, I Nyoman Sudana Degeng, M Ramli, Adi Atmoko

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study aims to clarify the high number of college students choosing unsuitable career choices. The impact of choosing an unsuitable career path can significantly hinder the development of Indonesian human resources in the context of the industry 4.0 era. This is caused by shifting paradigms in the recruitment process of most companies or institutions that no longer prioritize a diploma as the key factor in seeking new hires. Instead, there is greater emphasis on the employee's skills, interests, creativity, and innovation, followed by a diploma and achievement index. Descriptive-qualitative design was employed. Samples were collected from college students at …

Quality Improvement Project: Standardized Medication Reconciliation Process Training: A Path To Improve Staff Medication Confidence, Christologus Obi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Medication reconciliation represents a critical safety process in psychiatric healthcare, where medication discrepancies affect up to 67% of hospitalized patients, with 30-40% potentially causing significant harm. This quality improvement project implemented a standardized medication reconciliation training program at a Texas mental health facility to address knowledge and confidence gaps among clinical staff. Using Kotter's 8-Step Change Model and the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice, this quasi-experimental pre-post intervention study delivered three 30-minute interactive sessions to 12 multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. The evidence-based intervention introduced a 3-phase reconciliation model focused on obtaining accurate medication histories, documentation, and discrepancy resolution. Data collection used …

Does Employees’ Meaningfulness Of Work Mediate The Link Between Their Cognitive Diversity And Creative Process Engagement?, Mohammad Tamzid Hossain, Sabrin Sultana, Salma Begum, Md. Sahidur Rahman, Md. Aftab Uddin

Management Dynamics

This study aims to investigate how employees' cognitive diversity affects their creative process engagement, with a focus on the role of their meaningfulness of work as a mediator in this connection. A survey was used with a quantitative method to collect responses from 207 employees of small, medium, and large service and manufacturing businesses in Bangladesh that were registered with the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The collected data were then analyzed using Smart PLS 4 to evaluate the hypotheses and examine the mediating effect of the study. The findings reveal that employees’ cognitive diversity has a significant impact …

Fusion Of Simulation And Ai Methods For Understanding Hov/Hot Lane Operational Flow Dynamics, Deo Chimba, Therezia Matongo, Hellen Shita, Erickson Senkondo, Masanja Madalo, Afia Yeboah

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

This study investigated the impact of converting High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on fundamental traffic flow characteristics, focusing on speed, density, and flow relationships. A 25-mile HOV corridor along I-24 Westbound in Nashville, Tennessee was evaluated using both microscopic simulation via VISSIM and data-driven machine learning through a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network. Four operational scenarios were assessed: (1) HOV lanes without enforcement, (2) HOV lanes with effective occupancy enforcement, (3) HOT lanes with limited access points, and (4) HOT lanes with intermediate access points. Flow-density and speed-flow relationships were modeled using Greenshields theory …

Quality Improvement Project: The Impact Of Staff Education On Utilization Of The Phq-9 Tool And Follow-Up Management Protocol, Shuntak Jerideau

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Depression is a prevalent mental health disorder that affects daily functioning. Timely screening enables the identification of symptoms, monitoring treatment efficacy, and informs additional treatment such as referrals. The practice site reported low screening rates of patient’s post-psychiatric hospitalization, which was attributed to inadequate knowledge of the PHQ-9 tool. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the impact of staff education on the utilization of the PHQ-9 tool and follow-up management protocol in a mental health clinic. A quasi-experimental design method was used in an outpatient mental health clinic. Pretest knowledge of the PHQ-9 was obtained from …

Assessing The Impact Of Cultural Competence Training For Providers Serving Native Americans, Chinazo Obi

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The United States is a culturally diverse nation, yet many healthcare providers report challenges in delivering care that respects cultural values and traditions. Within mental health settings, this gap is especially concerning for Native American populations, who experience disproportionately high rates of mental health conditions and face barriers to culturally responsive care. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to assess the impact of a cultural competence education and training intervention on mental health providers’ knowledge and self-efficacy in delivering culturally competent care to Native American patients. Guided by Leininger’s Culture Care Theory of Diversity and Universality and the …

The Intersection Of Near-Death Experiences (Ndes) And Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi): Neurobiological, Phenomenological, And Creative Implications, Diego Iacono, Gloria C Feltis

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and near-death experiences (NDEs) represent profound disruptions in brain function, often associated with dramatic changes in consciousness, self-perception, and behavior. While these events are typically studied for their pathological consequences, a growing body of evidence suggests they may also trigger unexpected cognitive and creative enhancements in a subset of individuals. We explore the intersection between TBI, NDEs, and the emergence of heightened artistic expression, integrating findings from neuroanatomy, neuropathology, genetics, and phenomenology. We examine how alterations in key brain networks - such as the default mode network, frontoparietal circuits, and limbic regions - may underpin shifts …

Gender Differences In Healthy Eating Index As Informed By The Awareness Of Diagnosis Of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, Wei Ting Lin, Madeline Novack, Suthat Liangpunsakul, Chiung Kuei Huang, Hui Yi Lin, Po Hung Chen, Tung Sung Tseng, Peng Sheng Ting

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Dietary quality is a driver of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Men and women often have different levels of adherence to medical advice, but the effect of gender on adherence to dietary advice as a function of awareness of MASLD is understudied. We aim to investigate the differences in diet quality between men and women who are aware of their diagnosis of MASLD compared to their undiagnosed counterparts. Methods: We utilized the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2020 to identify a nationally representative sample of subjects with MASLD, 127 of whom reported a diagnosis of MASLD (diagnosed …

General Practitioners' Perspectives On Identifying Early Symptoms For Breast Cancer Detection In The Primary Care Facilities: A Case Study, Bob Andinata

Kesmas

In primary care settings, general practitioners (GPs) frequently face challenges in identifying the early symptoms of breast cancer. This study aimed to explore, in depth, the perspectives of GPs regarding the identification and interpretation of early-stage breast cancer symptoms during the early detection process in primary care facilities. This study used a qualitative approach based on a case study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with GPs at primary health care and private clinics in Depok City, Indonesia, complemented by observations and documentation. The data was analyzed using the Miles and Huberman method. The questionnaire assessment and focus group discussion …

Burnout Assessment Tool Development And Validation For Healthcare Workers: A Psychometric Approach Using Rasch Modelling And Exploratory Factor Analysis, Rosnah Ismail, Suriya Kumareswaran Vallasamy

Kesmas

Burnout remains a significant occupational threat to healthcare workers (HCWs). Existing instruments, e.g., the Maslach Burnout Inventory, have limited applicability in healthcare-specific contexts. This study aimed to develop and validate the Burnout Scale for Assessing Stress in Healthcare Workers (BSAS-HCW), designed to measure cognitive and emotional exhaustion. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 245 Malaysian HCWs representing diverse roles, including staff nurses (57.7%), house officers (14.3%), medical officers (13.5%), specialists (5.7%), pharmacists (4.5%), and other HCWs. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure with strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: cognitive = 0.95; emotional = 0.97), and all items loaded above …

Improving Glycemic Control Among Indonesian Urban Adults: A Digital And Behavioral Extension Of The Information–Motivation–Behavioral Skills Model, Imelda Appulembang

Kesmas

Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Indonesia continues to face challenges due to behavioral, informational, and technological gaps among patients. This study analyzed the influence of self-regulatory competence and information, motivation, family support, and digital health literacy on glycemic control behavior. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to April 2025 among 587 adults aged >30 years with T2DM enrolled in the Chronic Disease Management Program at primary health care in six major cities: Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Medan, Makassar, and Banjarmasin. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings …

Peer Connect: An Embedded Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of A Peer Well-Being Coaching Intervention For People Living With A Long-Term Health Condition, Rachel Dennett, Julian Elston, Tom P. Thompson, Wendy Clyne, Joanne Hosking, Krystina Bones, Helen Davies-Cox, Agne Straukiene

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction Many people with long-term conditions such as pain and arthritis struggle with their health and well-being. To support better self-management, a new peer-delivered coaching intervention (Health Connect Coaching) was set up at a National Health Service integrated care organisation in Southwest England. Based on principles of personalised care and supported goal setting, the one-to-one coaching programme, targeting patients with low activation, delivered coaching sessions in a step-down approach over 6 months. A randomised controlled feasibility trial (fRCT) of Health Connect Coaching was conducted to inform the design of a definitive randomised controlled trial. This article reports the embedded qualitative …

Impact Of Common Variants On Brain Gene Expression From Rna To Protein To Schizophrenia Risk, Qiuman Liang, Yi Jiang, Annie W. Shieh, Dan Zhou, Rui Chen, Feiran Wang, Meng Xu, Mingming Niu, Xusheng Wang, Ramu Vadukapuram

School of Medicine Publications

Genetic variants influencing gene expression have been extensively studied at the transcriptional level. How these variants affect downstream processes remains unclear. We quantitated ribosome occupancy in prefrontal cortex samples from the BrainGVEX cohort and integrated these data with transcriptomic and proteomic profiles from the same individuals. Through cis-QTL mapping, we identified genetic variants associated with transcript level (eQTLs), ribosome occupancy (rQTLs), and protein level (pQTLs). Notably, only 34% of eQTLs have their effects propagated to the protein levels, suggesting widespread post-transcriptional attenuation. Using both a gene-based approach and a variant-based approach we identified omics-specific QTLs that associated with brain disorder …

Tax Trends, Harry Z. Garian

Tax Adviser

No abstract provided.

Exploring Communication Strategies With Esports Fans: Signaling Physical Location And Popularity, Gavin Nolin, Ismail Karabas, Skylar King

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Purpose

Using signaling theory as a theoretical foundation, this study aims to investigate how consumers respond to message framing emphasizing physical location and popularity of an esports team. Additionally, this research looks at how power distance belief, need for uniqueness, sense of power and pride in community are associated with consumer intentions (e.g. support likelihood, watch likelihood, follow on social media likelihood) as a function of physical location versus popularity-signaling in team communication with prospective fans. Design/methodology/approach

This research uses an experiment to test the effects of physical location and popularity-signaling on consumer intentions toward an esports team, as well …

The Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy And Symptom Distress In Cancer Patients, Kailei Yan, Hsiao-Lan Wang, Brent Small, Victoria Marshall, Amanda Elliott, Danielle Tometich, Theresa M. Beckie, Susan C. Mcmillan

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Cancer symptoms significantly impact the quality of life (QOL) among cancer patients (Almståhl et al., 2019; Bashir et al., 2020; Nayak et al., 2019). Self-efficacy plays a key role in managing symptoms and improving QOL (Cox-Martin et al., 2020; Erickson et al., 2021; Frensham et al., 2020; Thieser et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2019). Symptom distress, defined as the suffering from symptom occurrence, predicts QOL in cancer patients with symptoms (Badana et al., 2019). However, it is not clear whether self-efficacy and/or symptom distress mediate the effects of symptoms on QOL. This study seeks to explore if and how …

Digital Neuropsychology And Social Anxiety: The Effect Of Observer Presence And Personality On Stress And Cognition, Ava M. Dixon

Master's Theses

This study examined how observer presence and social anxiety influence stress and cognitive performance during neuropsychological assessments, focusing on the potential benefits of unsupervised digital testing environments. Eighty university students were randomly assigned to observed or unobserved digital neuropsychological conditions and completed assessments of social cognition and executive functioning and questionnaires of social anxiety and personality. Participants also completed measures of state anxiety and heart rate variability at baseline and after cognitive tests. The findings indicated that observation led to higher subjective anxiety, but it did not produce significant interactions with social anxiety on stress or cognitive performance. Post-hoc analyses …

Pre-Licensure Nursing Student Professional Identity Formation: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study, Rhoda A. Owens, Dawn L. Denny

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: The study aimed to explore pre-licensure nursing students’ perceptions of their professional identity in nursing. Forming a nurse’s professional identity is a transformational process that begins during pre-licensure nursing programs, and there is limited evidence regarding effective interventions to facilitate the process (Godfrey & Young, 2025; Thompson, 2022). Educators are responsible for creating a learning environment that fosters professional identity development in pre-licensure nursing students (Godfrey & Young, 2025; Thompson, 2022). Nurses who embody their professional identity can positively influence patient safety, enhance the quality of patient care, and promote a healthy workplace environment (Phillips & Priddy, 2023; Thompson, …

Exploring Variations In Emotional Intelligence And Burnout Among Nursing Students, Carrie Ann Bailey, Lynn Beeler, James Lewis

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The purpose of this research is to further validate a clinician language centric self-assessment of emotional intelligence and burnout to determine if there is a difference in the subscales that measure Emotional Intelligence between the accelerated baccalaureate student nurses (ABSN) and the traditional baccalaureate student nurses (BSN). Junior level traditional BSN students and first semester ABSN students were recruited and surveyed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Scale of Emotional Functioning in Medicine. Demographic data was also compared between the two groups. Data was analyzed using Independent-Samples Mann-Whitney U Test. Results: The two groups of students were significantly different …