Digital Commons Network^™

Traditions, Doctrine, And Polity : The Paradigm Of The New Orleans District Of The Louisiana Conference Of The United Methodist Church, Andryl Spikes

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Becoming A Healthy Small United Methodist Church : A Tongan Pastor's Perspective, John Sione H. Tu'uta

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Discovering A Preacher's Voice : How Pulpit Preachers Find Their Style And Voice, William Brian Mercer

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Reduction Of The Length Of Stay At The Emergency Department Of The Audie L. Murphy Hospital, Arwa Al Shikrian

Theses

We implemented the DMAIC framework (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) and Lean Six Sigma methods to reduce the length of stay (LOS) in the Emergency Department (ED) at Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital, a crucial issue affecting operational efficiency and patient care quality. This project was conducted in conjunction with an internship at the Hospital; our efforts were an integral part of a Green Belt project being conducted by Mr. Roarke Verkaik-Bushby, Hospital Administration Service, to

whom this author reported.

We employed quantitative research design, meticulously observing, measuring, and analyzing ED processes. We tracked patient flow, identified bottlenecks, and …

How To Evacuate When Disaster Strikes: A Literature Review Of Hospital Evacuations, Grant Orr

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Hospitals are an essential component of any community’s infrastructure, and due to the nature of their services they are vulnerable when a disaster strikes. If a disaster is severe enough to warrant a hospital evacuation, both hospital and community leaders must decide how to proceed with the resources at their disposal. Organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services offer general guidance, but specifics as to how a hospital should proceed with an evacuation are left to individual hospital leaders and emergency management teams. This capstone project will …

Examining The Impact Of Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Colorectal Cancer Screening Compliance In The United States And The Potential Of Targeted Interventions., Jessica Ware

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objectives:

Examine Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening compliance among racial and ethnic groups in the United States (US) based on the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations.

Identify targeted interventions to promote screening compliance, early diagnosis, and CRC survivorship.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized 165,878 selected participant responses from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We modeled and investigated CRC screening compliance based on the USPSTF recommendations as inclusion criteria between racial/ethnic groups in the US while adjusting for covariates using a weighted stepwise logistic regression.

Results: With covariates adjustment, Hispanics (POR 1.16 95%CI 1.04-1.29), Asian …

Assessing The Association Between Income And Breast Cancer Screening Practices, Hannah M. Zantow

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objectives

To determine how breast cancer screening practices differ between high- and low-income women aged 40-74. To determine the effects of sociodemographic factors on the relationship between income and breast cancer screening practices.

Methods

This was a cross sectional study. Survey data was obtained from women aged 40-74 who completed the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). The exposure was income. The outcome was if a woman ever received a mammogram. The final sample size was 171,111 participants. Regression models were used to assess the association between income and screening practices.

Results

There was a significant association between income and …

A Medical Perspective On Policy Prohibiting Gender-Affirming Care For Missouri Minors: A Policy Review, Hayley Lange

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

The Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act is a law enacted in August of 2023 that bans gender-affirming medical care for individuals under eighteen years old in Missouri and states any medical provider who gives medical gender-affirming care to a minor will have their professional medical license revoked. The impact of medical professionals withholding proven gender-affirming care is a clear concern for the medical community, advocates, and other care professionals.
/="/">
/="/">PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy review is to compare the content of the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act with states with similar policies and standard-of-care …

Association Between Depression And Coronary Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss), 2022, Juliana Monono

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objectives: To examine the association of depression and coronary heart disease in U.S. adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional study uses the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2022 data for non-institutionalized U.S adults aged 18 and older. The exposure variable is depression, the outcome is coronary heart disease (CHD), and covariates are age, race, education, and physical activity. Performed univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses to assess the association between depression and CHD.

Results: The analytical sample size consisted of 427,217 individuals. A total of 88,841(20.7%) of the population reported having coronary heart disease, while 338,376(70.3%) reported having no …

A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Self-Reported Long Covid And Binge Drinking Amongst Covid-Positive Individuals Using The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (Brfss), 2022, Maire Kirley

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Objective: Identify an association between Long COVID (exposure) and binge drinking (outcome) amongst COVID-positive individuals.

Methods: COVID-positive respondents (n=116,120) were sampled from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Univariate analysis assessed distribution of Long COVID, binge drinking, and covariates sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, rural/urban residency, veteran status and BMI. Bivariate analysis determined crude prevalence odds ratios (POR) between exposure, outcome, and covariates. Multivariate logistic regression determined adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aPOR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for exposure, outcome and covariates.

Results: No association found between Long COVID and binge drinking (aPOR: 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87, …

Crafting Culturally Responsive Research: Part Ii, Maria K. E. Lahman

Webinars

This is the third webinar in a three-part webinar series featuring Maria K. E. Lahman, Ph.D., Professor of Qualitative Methodology at UNC. Lahman is renowned for her expertise in qualitative research and her latest book, "Ethics in Social Science Research: Becoming Culturally Responsive."

Through this three-part webinar series, Lahman challenges researchers to join the author in considering culturally responsive research. Foundations of culturally responsive qualitative research, reflexivity and ideas for enhancing the quality of qualitative research enhanced. While all webinars are stand-alone experiences, engaging with all three invites readers into deeper dialogue in an area that is contested, swiftly shifting …

The Economics Behind The Legalization Of Sports Gambling And Financial Market Relations, John Bassham

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the recent legalization of sports gambling, it has become a popular spectacle among sports fans and financial analysts pursuing an understanding of it. This thesis dives into the meticulous relationship between sports gambling and economic factors/financial market relations using academic literature to understand the relationship.

The thesis explores sports gambling from an economic standpoint using incentives to understand the market participants and economic advantages and disadvantages. It also uses academic literature and analytics to make a case for market efficiency while also delving into particular inefficiencies.

Furthermore, this thesis uses characteristics of the stock market in comparison of the …

The Influence Of Injury On Athlete's Confidence, Emily Faith Adkison

Whittier Scholars Program

Traumatic injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, shoulder dislocations, and concussions influence athletes' confidence. There are various emotional responses to injury and the rehabilitation process which can influence recovery and the athlete’s ability to confidently succeed at the collegiate level. The two purposes of this study are to assess how traumatic injuries in high school affects an athlete’s confidence as they transition to collegiate athletics and to assess how a traumatic injury influences athlete’s recruitment process. The average confidence to succeed at the collegiate level before suffering a traumatic injury was 8.2 ± 1.92 and significantly decreased to …

Space For Creative Decision-Making: How Art Is Being Taught, Nicky Perini

Whittier Scholars Program

Art classrooms are expected to help bolster students’ abilities to make creative choices and express themselves; however, there is no official approach to guide teachers on how to foster this in their classrooms, where they are also meant to teach formal elements and discuss the importance of art. In order to get a look at how teachers approach their classrooms in a way that is feasible within a school, I reviewed current literature about creativity, common practices, and theory, and then interviewed three middle school art teachers about how they conduct their classrooms. I found that there are vastly different …

From Instagram To Top Ranks: Unveiling The Influence Of Social Media Engagement On Business School Prestige, Hofran Kinkela Ngoma

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Social media usage by universities has become widespread, serving as a dynamic platform for engaging with a diverse audience that includes prospective students, alumni, and the broader community. This research paper delves into the multifaceted role of social media in universities, serving as a tool for communication, audience engagement, brand promotion, and academic support. The study aims to explore the correlation between universities' social media usage and their ranking performances. Utilizing Instagram and the U.S. News website as data collection platforms, the investigation gathers insights into social media usage and change in business school ranking over a ten-year span. By …

The Importance Of Branding Elements: How Uta Communicates With Students And Employees As A Brand, Suyeon Kwon

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Nexus: The Influence Of Acculturation And Stress On Infant Outcomes Among Hispanic And Black/African American Adolescents, Mia I. Moreno

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Numerous studies on acculturation and acculturative stress exist; however, findings are inconsistent and overlook an exploration of differences between Hispanic and Black/African American (B/AA) adolescents’ acculturation, stress, and birth outcomes. Despite societal and cultural challenges for both minorities, Hispanic women typically have positive birth outcomes comparable to White women, but B/AA women show an increased risk for negative birth outcomes. Further, minority and adolescent childbearing women frequently receive fewer prenatal care (PNC) visits than recommended which may impact birth outcomes. Therefore, my study sought to compare Hispanic and B/AA women’s birth outcomes assessing acculturation and stress and examine the relationship …

Vicarious Trauma In Special Education Teachers, Ashley Bascome, Lauren Malter

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Special education attrition is a major concern that continues to grow and has led to a shortage of special education teachers. There are increasing numbers of students diagnosed with disabilities and learning differences who require special education services (Anderson, 2020) The outcomes for these students are less promising than those of their general education peers. This group of students is at a higher risk of experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are stressful and traumatic experiences faced during one’s childhood. Special education teachers are, therefore, at an increased likelihood of being exposed to trauma in their day-to-day experiences as educators. …

Stress-Induced Oxytocin Reactivity As A Predictor Of Daily Support Seeking After Stress, Cecile Sunahara

Psychology Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined whether stress-induced peripheral oxytocin (OT) was associated with support-seeking behaviors after stress in daily life. Healthy male and female participants (N=94) performed a standardized laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and then completed two weeks of daily assessments of support seeking after stress. In line with preregistered hypotheses, plasma OT reactivity to the TSST (indexed as the area under the curve with respect to increase; AUCi) was associated with more frequent support seeking behaviors following stress in daily life. Moreover, this association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of attachment anxiety, relative to …

Evaluation Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Social Communication Questionnaire In Rural Kenya, Patricia Kipkemoi, Jeanne Savage, Joseph Gona, Kenneth Rimba, Martha Kombe, Paul Mwangi, Collins Kipkoech, Danielle Posthuma, Charles Newton, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Children can be reliably diagnosed with autism as early as 3 years of age, and early interventions are initiated. There is often a significant gap between the age of onset of symptoms (2–3 years) and diagnosis (8–10 years) in Africa. We conducted a study to validate the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) as a screening instrument in a rural setting in Kenya. The study was conducted along the Kenyan Coast. Study participants included 172 children with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) diagnosis (84 of which were autism) and 112 controls. Internal consistency was evaluated through the use of Cronbach’s alpha, confirmatory factor …

Systemic Symptoms In Huntington's Disease: A Comprehensive Review, Raja Mehanna, Joseph Jankovic

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Although Huntington's disease (HD) is usually thought of as a triad of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms, there is growing appreciation of HD as a systemic illness affecting the entire body.

Objectives: This review aims to draw attention to these systemic non-motor symptoms in HD.

Methods: We identified relevant studies published in English by searching MEDLINE (from 1966 to September 2023), using the following subject headings: Huntington disease, autonomic, systemic, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, sexual and cutaneous, and additional specific symptoms.

Results: Data from 123 articles were critically reviewed with focus on systemic features associated with HD, such as …

Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting To Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: A Comparative Analysis Of Muscle Strengthening Exercise And Treadmill Walking, Grace E. Anderson

Honors College Theses

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of brief bouts of treadmill walking and bodyweight-based muscular strengthening exercises to mitigate the effects of sedentary behavior on blood pressure, blood glucose, cognitive performance, and perceived fatigue. Methods: Healthy young adults (n = 9) completed 3 experimental trials consisting of 4-hour sedentary periods. The trials consisted of an uninterrupted sedentary period (control), treadmill walking every 30 minutes for 5 minutes, and bodyweight-based muscular strengthening exercises every 30 minutes for 5 minutes. Blood glucose was measured at baseline and every 30 minutes thereafter. Blood pressure and fatigue were measured at baseline and every hour thereafter. …

Preparing Teachers To Differentiate Instruction: A Systematic Review, Betsy Ahearn

Theses and Dissertations

Differentiated Instruction is the term used to describe a variety of strategies for successfully addressing student diversity in the classroom. It relies on the attitudes of teachers who aim to maximize learning for all students and is based on the use of assessment data to respond to student readiness, interest, and learning profile. Although implementation has been found to have positive results in improving student performance many barriers have stood in the way of teachers utilizing these techniques. This systematic review of literature provides an extensive overview of information related to differentiated instruction guided by research questions. The methods utilized …

An Inconvenient Truth About ‘Bundling’ Commitment, Engagement, & Embeddedness: Unbundling To Extend Theory On Turnover Motivations And Beyond, Carl Maertz, Clark D. Johnson, Brittney C. Bauer

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper critiques a research practice that we call “bundling,” which has produced highly popular constructs in the organizational behavior literature, including organizational commitment, employee engagement, and organizational embeddedness. We show how these bundled constructs, using broad labels from common parlance, have produced overlapping meanings, confounded theoretical mechanisms, and imposed limiting “ideal employee” conceptions in the literature, organizations, and ultimately, societal discourse about employees. We argue that “unbundling” these constructs can provide multiple benefits to theory, empirical inquiry, and practical assessment of complex employee motives. As a demonstration, we unbundle the three focal constructs to integrate and clarify their component …

The Media’S Representation Of Female Athletes During Drug Scandals, Cassandra Leigh Lavigne

Honors Program Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Independent Visions Of Marginal America: Reimagining A Nation Through Outsiders, Searching, And Non-Arrival, Z Evan Long

Film and Media Studies (MA) Theses

This thesis explores critical responses to American-ness, American identity, and most significantly American myth, in independent films about America in cultural terms, and their attempts to deconstruct the myths of nation and culture. The independent films about America analyzed in this thesis range from the 1960s to the 1990s, made by filmmakers across movements and cultures, but they all contain in some measure three key concepts: the “outsider,” the “search,” and a narrative “non-arrival.” Easy Rider (1969) will be explored as the prototype for this paradigm, contrasted with films that reinterpret the road-movie structure away from existential angst and toward …

Keeping The Light On: Academic Librarians And Burnout, Jason D. Phillips, Laura Pitts, Jessica Riedmueller, Joanna Warren

The Southeastern Librarian

There is substantial research about sources of burnout among academic librarians; however, very little addresses the impact of the local environment. Responding to regional and institutional shifts while still trying to uphold the values of librarianship such as providing confidential and free access to information can quickly lead to mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion, classic symptoms of burnout. A panel discussion was presented at the Arkansas Library Association (ArLA) / Southeast Library Association (SELA) Joint Conference, on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Academic librarians from different Southern states discussed their local environments, their libraries’ responses to recent events, and their strategies …

Exploring The Collegiate Choir Participant's Values Within Ensemble Performances, Kaelyn Hunter

Honors Theses

This study examined how collegiate choral ensemble participants viewed their highest quality performance and their favorite performance. Examining characteristics of performances may encourage conversations about performance values between directors and students. Limited research has been done about musicians’ views, as getting accurate and in-the-moment documentation of how musicians feel about their performances is challenging. To provide more insight into this previously understudied topic, this study aimed to explore the musicians’ perspectives on their performances and how their emotions and repertoire are intertwined.

The Primary Investigator (PI) conducted an anonymous study among the 2022–2023 choral ensemble participants at The University of …

Understanding The Clinician's View Of Pragmatics In Pediatric Therapy, Shelby Oliver

Honors Theses

Pragmatics is one of the most integral components of language, yet it often seems to receive little attention in therapy settings. Previous research indicates the importance of intentionally targeting pragmatic skills for children with language disorders and/or autism spectrum disorders, as well as the lack of current pragmatic evaluations. This thesis used an online survey to record how clinicians view pragmatics, how they evaluate pragmatics, and how they target pragmatics. Participants were all certified clinicians, and the research survey featured a variety of open and closed questions. Results revealed a deep pragmatics knowledge base. However, results indicated the use and …

Groomer Discourse: A Transgender-Sensitive Critical Discourse Analysis Of Queerphobic Hate Speech On Twitter, William Evans

Honors Theses

In recent times, online internet hate speech has received more and more attention due to its adaptive and mutative nature, emerging not in a vacuum but instead sprouting from the seeds of social inequity. A specific form of queerphobic hate speech known as groomer discourse or predation libel has taken new form in online spaces. This recent development, targeted almost exclusively towards the queer community and their allies, is uniquely situated at the intersection of transgender rights and sexual education in the United States. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, this study expands Spallaccia’s gender-sensitive critical discourse analysis (CDA) into a …