Digital Commons Network^™

Data Mining And Predictive Policing, Chanté L. Stewart-Wallace

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This paper focuses on the operation and utilization of predictive policing software that generates spatial and temporal hotspots. There is a literature review that evaluates previous work surrounding the topics branched from predictive policing. It dissects two different crime datasets for San Francisco, California and Chicago, Illinois. Provided, is an in depth comparison between the datasets using both statistical analysis and graphing tools. Then, it shows the application of the Apriori algorithm to re-enforce the formation of possible hotspots pointed out in a actual predictive policing software. To further the analysis, targeted demographics of the study were evaluated to create …

Lived Experiences Of Indian Women Technology Professionals Working Temporarily In The United States, Sudha Nagarajan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This original and topical qualitative study explored the lived experiences of ten Indian women technology professionals working in the U.S. on non-immigrant H-1B visas. This study examined the role of cultural socialization and acculturative processes in the development of cultural identity. Narratives of the participants were interpreted using the Voice-Relational Listening Guide (Brown & Gilligan, 1992; Gilligan, 1982, 2015; Gilligan, Spencer, Weinberg, & Bertsch, 2006). The first theme of negotiated compromises explored the impact of gender role expectations associated with cultural socialization on career and marriage options, relational interdependence, and adaptation to changing sociocultural environments. The second theme of cultural …

A Privacy-Aware Framework For Friend Recommendations In Online Social Networks, Mona Fahad Alkanhal

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Online social networks (OSN), such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, have revolutionized the way how people share information and stay connected with family and friends. Along this direction, user’s privacy has been a significant concern to all users in the social networks. In this thesis, we propose a privacyaware framework that allows users to outsource their encrypted profile data to a cloud environment. In order to achieve better security and efficiency, our framework utilizes a hybrid approach that consists of Paillier’s encryption scheme and AES. Furthermore, we develop a privacy-aware friend recommendation protocol that recommends new friends to social network …

Mainstream Teachers Learning To Teach English Language Learners : Uncovering The Systems Of Teacher Professional Learning, Alma Morel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In this qualitative study, I followed three teachers as they participated in a sheltered English instruction professional learning initiative planned and implemented by their school district for purposes of preparing middle school science and social studies teachers to teach English language learners (ELLs). I explored the professional learning process of these teachers and how the ideas to which they were exposed in the professional learning initiative moved into their classroom practices, if at all. The study was guided by a complexity perspective, from which teacher professional learning was conceptualized as emerging from nested systems. In general, the study sought to …

Supporting In-Service Literacy Teacher Reflective Practice Through Graduate Coursework : A Qualitative Study Of Building Literacy Teacher Reflective Practice In A Masters Reading Course And In-Service School Contexts, Gary V. Pankiewicz

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This small qualitative research study examined the role of the reflective supports a teacher-researcher explicitly put in place in order to explore the usefulness of these supports in a graduate course taught to a group of in-service literacy teachers. More specifically, this study examined how nine in-service literacy teacher/graduate level students considered and analyzed and reflected in light of the context of their own classrooms in their unique school contexts and, furthermore, how they engaged in social action, or acts which take into account the actions and reactions of others, in the graduate course in creating a revised or reconstructed …

Speaking Of Recovery, Thomas A. Conklin

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This empirical study analyzed the language used by six individuals in recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) who have been participants in the mutual support organization Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) as they described their experiences with AUD and recovery. Participants were all White middle-aged Americans without a college education, a demographic cohort that has been identified as being at elevated risk for premature death due to AUD, drug misuse, and suicide (Case & Deaton, 2017). The findings suggest that participants’ experiences with AUD were associated with a constellation of factors, including culture-bound conflicting social identities, ruptured intimate relationships, and chronic unsuccessful …

Integration Of Mental Heath Screening Protocol In Primary Care For Patients Who Have Experienced Traumatic Events, Karra N. Adams

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Mental health status is not always assessed in patients involved in a physically traumatic event unless the patient expresses concern. Often times, orthopedic injuries are a result from a traumatic event. Routine mental health screening in the primary care orthopedic setting can help identify mental health care needs early so that adequate interventions can be implemented in a more effective manner. The goal of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating the use of a brief mental health screening tool in a primary care setting to assess the psychological needs of patients who have been involved in a …

Improving Acute Pain Management: Development Of An Adult Dexmedetomidine Infusion Protocol, Timothy Denney

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Studies have revealed over 80% of surgical patients experience acute postoperative pain: 75% of patients describe pain levels as moderate, severe, or extreme (Chou et al., 2016). Opioids continue to be the mainstay of most postoperative analgesia regimens (Tan, Law, & Gan, 2015). While effective for the treatment of severe pain, opioid use also prolongs length of hospital stay and places patients at greater risk for higher adjusted mean costs due to dose-related side effects. Multimodal analgesia is a concept that continues to gain momentum to improve perioperative analgesia while reducing the incidence of opioid-related adverse events (Buvanendran & Kroin, …

Increasing Utilization And Awareness Of An Existing Patient Portal Application, Amanda Graham, Jessica L. Schnebly

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Patient portal applications (PPAs) are secure website or computer/mobile device applications that allow 24-hour access to a patient’s electronic health record (EHR). Patient portal applications are intended to improve quality and access to health care by engaging patients to be more active in managing and monitoring their health. A large Midwest multispecialty organization’s Follow My Healthpatient portal application (FMH app) is underutilized by patients and providers. While evidence supports the use of web-based patient portal applications, only 17% of this organization’s patients use the FMH app, and even less use its direct messaging capabilities.

The purpose of this project …

Implementation Of A High-Fidelity Simulation Day For Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists: Program Development And Evaluation Project, Abby Klaus, Carly Rambo

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) often rotate to many clinical settings for clinical practicum experiences. Each clinical site has unique operating room layouts, anesthesia cart organization, anesthesia machines, and protocols. Orientation to new settings is time-intensive, and lack of familiarity can interfere with learning and detract from the overall clinical experience. This project involves the development and implementation of a simulation “boot-camp” specifically designed to better prepare SRNAs to adapt more readily to clinical settings. Objectives for this project include reviewing the current evidence-based literature to determine the role of simulation-based learning in nurse anesthesia training, creating simulations in collaboration …

Implementation Of Emergency Severity Index Training To Improve Accuracy Of Triage Levels, Erinn Hileman, Douglas Mckain

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This quality improvement project was created to help increase knowledge of the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) in the Emergency Department (ED), a form of triage used to categorize patients by their acuity. Proper ESI use shortens the length of stay times, door to provider times and reduces the number of patients that leave without being seen.

The goal of this project was to develop an online learning module that would increase the nurses’ knowledge of triage to enhance triage accuracy. Nineteen (19) emergency department nurses were given a pretest, an ESI educational presentation, and a follow-up post-test.

Data analysis indicated …

Assessing Palliative Care Needs In Residents With Alzheimer's, Emily Yarnell

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Current evidence indicates a lack of assessment protocols focusing on palliative care needs for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This gap in practice supported the need to implement an evidence-based assessment protocol for early identification of palliative care needs in patients with Alzheimer’s disease residing in a long-term care facility. The protocol included using the patient’s Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) score to determine the patient’s palliative care needs according to the Dementia Progression Prioritization of Goals model. If the score indicated moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease, then their goal was maximization of comfort, indicating a need to begin palliative care plans. …

Improving Acute Postoperative Pain Management For The Pediatric Patient: Guidelines On The Use Of Intravenous Dexmedetomidine, Jenna Winters

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Inadequately treated surgical pain in children leads to risky complications, such as longer recovery times, infection, prolonged hospitalizations, readmissions, altered pain sensitivity, neurophysiological changes, and cognitive-behavioral abnormalities (Campbell, 2013; Ibrahim, Jones, Lai, & Tan, 2016). Review of the literature indicated intravenous dexmedetomidine, as an adjunct, may lead to improved outcomes and a reduction in postoperative pain in children undergoing surgical intervention. An evidenced-based educational presentation introduced intravenous dexmedetomidine in children to anesthesia professionals, pharmacy staff, and the pediatric care team at a tertiary care center. Concluding the educational presentation, participants completed a voluntary survey evaluating the effectiveness of the presentation. …

Hepatitis C Virus Screening And Treatment, Dani Loftus, Emily Machens, Crista Jamous

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is classified as a contagious liver disease that can be either acute or chronic, and the illness ranges in severity from mild to lifelong. It is estimated that 2.7 million people in the United States (US) have HCV, but only half are diagnosed. The CDC recommends testing by birth-cohort, focusing on adults born between 1945 and 1965. Three main objectives for this project included implementation of a clinical decision support system (CDSS) for providers, increasing HCV screening by providing education to the support staff in primary care clinics of a local hospital which would increase the …

Transition Of Care From Pediatrics To Adult Health Care, Heather Mahsman, Holly J. Henderson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Transition planning is essential for continuity of healthcare for adolescents approaching adulthood. Transition of care should start in early adolescence to help pediatric patients find and establish an adult healthcare provider. The purpose of this project was to assess and increase awareness of transition planning and assess the feasibility of instituting a transition program in a rural health pediatric clinic. Staff and providers were educated about transition of care planning and current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pre and post surveys were collected. Staff reported the program as beneficial to their patients and would like to see further …

The Role Of The Intelligentsia In The Collapse Of The Ussr: Soviet Intellectuals And The Idea Of The West, Alma Boltirik

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A lot of scholars wrote about the causes of the collapse of the Soviet Union, paying close attention to economic, social, political, institutional, and external forces, which are undoubtedly important. Yet, almost none of them sufficiently addresses the essential cultural and ideological aspects, which gave rise to the new thinking embraced by Gorbachev and ultimately influenced his policies of glasnost and perestroika. This thesis argues that the revival of a particular social stratum known as the Soviet intelligentsia developed new critical ways of thinking about the country’s present, future, and its domestic problems. The main claim is that the process …

The Effectiveness Of Bilateral Cochlear Implants In Adults And Children: A Critical Review, Jennifer Meyer

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Unilateral cochlear implants are routinely provided to individuals who present with bilateral severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Unilateral implantation is widely accepted as the standard of care by most insurance companies, though bilateral implantation has the potential to restore some of the advantages of binaural listening in these patients. The aim of this literature review is to discuss recent research concerning benefits of bilateral cochlear implantation relative to performance with a single implant in both the pediatric and adult populations. Electronic databases and reference lists were searched using a pre-determined search strategy and were reviewed for relevant information. This …

Socially Constructing Marijuana Policy And Target Populations In The News Media, Jonathan Taylor Langner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on different aspects of the co-construction African Americans and marijuana in the news. First, the historical background of modern drug laws, including marijuana prohibition, and how this was dependent on racialized fears in the wake of the abolition of slavery. Next, the prevalence and variety of marijuana constructions in a national newspaper, with careful attention paid to associations with racial identifiers. Finally, how African American athletes and marijuana are co-constructed in an exemplary article.

Chapter 2 describes how racial fears relate to the social construction of disadvantaged population in the media. We first describe the current situation …

Russian University Efl Students’ Perceptions Of A Two-Week Online Academic Writing Course, Nataliia Borozdina

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study analyzes Russian university EFL students’ perceptions of a two-week online academic writing course. The researcher investigated 13 students’ attitudes towards an online academic English writing class offered at Kursk State University, Kursk’s oldest higher education institution, founded in 1934. In 1994 it was transformed into Kursk State Pedagogical University, and in 2003 it became Kursk State University. Along with the two-week online course assignments, the students completed pre- and post-questionnaires, reflections about the course, and participated in individual and group interviews. The findings of the study indicate that all of the participants had positive perceptions about the …

A Silicon Germanium Cmos Linear Voltage Regulator For Wireless Agricultural Applications, Aminta Naidili Castillo Robles

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design, simulation and test results of a silicon germanium (SiGe) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) linear regulator. The objective of the circuit is to power other analog devices regardless of the load current and input voltage changes. The application of this regulator is to be part of a project developing a miniaturized semiconductor platform that can be inserted into stems of crops in order to measure data inside the plant and then send it wirelessly to the user. The linear regulator was designed on a BiCMOS SiGe 0.13µm which is a GlobalFoundries process. It has been tested at …

Familiarization Through Ambient Images Alone, Nia Imani Gipson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The term “ambient images” has begun to show up in much of the current literature on facial recognition. Ambient images refer to naturally occurring views of a face that captures the idiosyncratic ways in which a target face may vary (Ritchie & Burton, 2017). Much of the literature on ambient images have concluded that exposing people to ambient images of a target face can lead to improved facial recognition for that target face. Some studies have even suggested that familiarity is the result of increased exposure to ambient images of a target face (Burton, Kramer, Ritchie, & Jenkins, 2016). The …

Model Development And Assessment Of The Gate Network In A High-Performance Sic Power Module, William Austin Curbow

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this effort is to determine points of weakness in the gate network of a high-performance SiC power module and to offer remedies to these issues to increase the overall performance, robustness, and reliability of the technology. In order to accomplish this goal, a highly accurate model of the gate network is developed through three methods of parameter extraction: calculation, simulation, and measurement. A SPICE model of the gate network is developed to analyze four electrical issues in a high-speed, SiC-based power module including the necessary internal gate resistance for damping under-voltage and over-voltage transients, the disparity …

Advanced Statistics In Arkansas Sports Reporting, Andrew Lee Epperson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to analyze how Arkansas’ sports journalists are adapting to the recent surge in available advanced statistics that are being used by certain national news organizations. Using in-depth qualitative research that includes in-depth interviews with a number of individuals in the print, broadcast, and athletics side of sports coverage, we discover how journalists and coaches use these next-generation analytics, what they fundamentally mean for the evolution of each respective path, and why so few Arkansas reporters and writers use them at the time of this paper’s defense. We see how budgets and deadlines restrict the use of these …

Losing Faith: Emily Brontë'S Revolutionized Religion, Emily Renee Holmes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Losing Faith: Emily Brontë’s Revolutionized Religion” discusses the role of religion in her novel Wuthering Heights and her poems set in the mythical world of Gondal. Through close readings of both her prose and poetry, this paper seeks to understand the relationship between the dark, vindictive nature of Brontë’s characters and their hopeful ending. The first chapter, Here’s The Situation, discusses the situation as set up by the novel, focusing specifically on Catherine and Heathcliff. I discuss the violence and codependence of their relationship, their Gondal predecessors, their fascination with each other as well as their torment when apart, and …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Motor Planning With Core Vocabulary: A Behavior Analytic Account, Alison Judith Karnes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) increases, it is important for practitioners to continue to improve evidence-based practices (EBP) for the treatment of ASD symptoms (i.e., impairments in social communication and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). It is estimated that 30-50% of individuals with autism do not acquire functional speech (Wodka, Mathy, & Kalb, 2013). These individuals would make appropriate candidates for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC; Mirenda, 2003). One form of AAC is the speech-generating device (SGD). Over the last ten years, tablet-based technologies including iPad minisⓇ have been emphasized in the …

Examining The Phenomenon Of Elementary School Principal Succession Through The Perspectives And Experiences Of Novice Principals, Dayna Kay Lewis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School districts across the United States are confronted with a shortage of highly qualified principal applicants, a situation compounded by a haphazard approach to leadership succession planning. While the vast majority of principals and superintendents endorse the promotion of assistant principals as the most effective way to develop successful school leaders, few structures exist to support that endeavor. Despite their essential role in the school’s operations and escalating demands for accountability for high standards and performance at the school level, assistant principals have been rendered virtually invisible in the scholarly literature. This study sought to fill the glaring gap in …

Comparing Elo, Glicko, Irt, And Bayesian Irt Statistical Models For Educational And Gaming Data, Breanna Morrison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Statistical models used for estimating skill or ability levels often vary by field, however their underlying mathematical models can be very similar. Differences in the underlying models can be due to the need to accommodate data with different underlying formats and structure. As the models from varying fields increase in complexity, their ability to be applied to different types of data may have the ability to increase. Models that are applied to educational or psychological data have advanced to accommodate a wide range of data formats, including increased estimation accuracy with sparsely populated data matrices. Conversely, the field of online …

Large-Scale Atomistic Simulations Of Complex And Functional Properties Of Ferroic Materials, Raymond Thomas Walter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ferroelectric (FE) nanostructures have attracted considerable attention as our abilities improve to synthesize them and to predict their properties by theoretical means. Depolarizing field effects at interfaces of FE heterostructures are particularly notable for causing topological defects such as FE vortices and negative dielectric responses in superlattices. In this thesis, I employ two large-scale atomistic techniques, the first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian (HEff) method and the linear-scaling three-dimensional fragment (LS3DF) method. I use these methods to explore optical rotation in FE vortices, electro-optic effects in FE vortices and skyrmions, and voltage amplification via negative capacitance in ferroelectric-paraelectric superlattices. We employ HEff in …

Comparison Of Physical Intensity Between Interactive Video Game Cycling And Conventional Stationary Cycling In Adolescents With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tariq Mohammed Alsoqairan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Obesity has become a serious health concern in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers have indicated that sedentary behaviors, especially technological activities, such as video games and other forms of screen-based activities is the main barrier to participate in physical activities. Active video games have demonstrated the efficacy in increasing physical activity and reducing body weight in children and adolescents with disabilities.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the exercise intensity and enjoyment level of interactive video game cycling (IVGC) in comparison with conventional stationary cycling (CSC) during matched number of sessions utilizing the same …

Validity And Reliability Of A 5-Minute Web-Camera Based Eye Tracking Test To Assess Visual Memory And Cognition, Emily Bates

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are approximately 5.7 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Early detection of cognitive impairment allows for earlier treatment, potentially slowing or halting cognitive decline. A 30-min web-camera eye tracking assessment (30-min VPC) has been validated as a tool to predict AD risk. However, a shorter version would allow for greater scalability and improve user experience. The purpose of this study was to: 1) determine the validity of the 5-minute web-camera based VPC test with the 30-min test, 2) determine the test-retest reliability of the 5-min test, 3) compare the 5-minute test scores of cognitively intact adults (18-39 …