Digital Commons Network^™

Enhance K-12 Student Online Learning Engagement Through Parental Support And Parent-School Collaboration, Qi Guo

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of parental support in K-12 online learning through a three-part research agenda grounded in the Academic Communities of Engagement (ACE) framework. The first article presents a systematic review of 31 empirical articles, identifying five key themes for effective parent-school collaboration, including improved communication, shared expertise, increased involvement, role clarification, and researcher-practitioner partnerships. The second study used a survey collecting data from 567 parents across eight online programs to explore challenges parents face in supporting their students' affective, behavioral, and cognitive (ABC) engagement. Eight primary challenges are identified, ranging from student struggles with focusing and motivation …

Staff Education To Enhance Use Of The Patient Health Questionnaire For Pediatric Mental Health Providers, Linda Kalle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underuse of standardized mental health screening tools, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), delays the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) in pediatric patients. This staff education project aimed to improve psychiatric providers' knowledge, confidence, and PHQ-9 utilization through an interactive training program. Over four weeks, three nurse practitioners and two medical assistants participated in an evidence-based educational intervention. Pre- and post-training assessments measured provider knowledge, confidence, and PHQ-9 usage through surveys and electronic health record (EHR) audits. Results showed provider knowledge increased from 65% to 90%, confidence improved from 60% to 85%, and PHQ-9 usage rose from …

Nafld Surveillance In The Alaska Native/American Indian Population, Wileina Saumara Rhodes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, the prevalence of NAFLD is estimated at 24% of the population, and by 2030, the incidence of NAFLD will increase to 100.9 million cases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and rate of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression in the Alaska Native/ American Indian population (AN/AI) with and without elevated liver function tests. Two research questions guided the study: Do outcomes (abnormal/normal) of LFTs, A1C, lipids, BMI, and inflammatory markers predict or have a relationship with NAFLD progression? Does NAFLD surveillance have a relationship with the patient’s outcome as measured by the NAFLD Fibrosis …

Measuring Healthcare Quality For Sexual Minority Women, Francesca Antoine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations (i.e., sexual minority women) experience poorer health outcomes compared to heterosexual women. Despite the increasing prevalence of sexual minority women in the United States, little research exists to identify their unique health needs. Healthcare administrators play a critical role in promoting a higher standard of patient care by identifying systemic issues and leveraging data-driven solutions. The purpose of this study was to examine various aspects of care delivery in clinical encounters involving sexual minority women and evaluate their perception of care quality. Donabedian’s model of healthcare quality served as the …

Digital Transformation Strategies Used By Church Leaders To Increase Revenues And Meet Budgetary Goals, Lee Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective strategies to use digital transformation to increase revenues and meet budgetary goals can negatively impact small rural church leadership capabilities. Small rural church leaders who struggle to increase revenues and meet budgetary goals are at high risk of business instability. Grounded in the diffusion of innovations theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective digital transformation strategies used by small rural church leaders to increase revenues and meet budgetary goals. Participants were eight small rural church leaders who had effectively used digital transformation to increase revenues and meet budgetary goals. Data were collected …

Nonprofit Marketing Strategies To Target A Specific Client Population, Daniel Curtis Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American females are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States contracting HIV. Nonprofit executives are concerned that, without effective marketing campaigns, African American females are not seeking the education or testing proven to reduce the chance of contracting HIV. Grounded in the integrated marketing communications theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that nonprofit executives use to design and execute effective marketing campaigns targeted to a specific client population. The participants were four senior leaders from a nonprofit healthcare clinic located in the south-central Region of the United States who have 10 or …

Strategies For Reducing Cost Overruns On Government-Funded Infrastructure Projects In Jamaica, Owen Whitely

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cost overruns involving government-funded infrastructure projects have the potential to lead to adverse economic and social outcomes. Project managers and government administrators are concerned with cost overruns as they often lead to delays, resource misallocation, and decreased public trust. Grounded in the theory of constraints, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies project managers use to reduce cost overruns for government-funded infrastructure projects in Jamaica. Participants were five project managers working on large-scale infrastructure projects with experience effectively mitigating cost overruns in Jamaica. Data were collected through in-depth semistructured interviews, government documents, and public records. Five …

Exploring The Connection Between Mental Health Stigma, Social-Emotional Risk, And Help-Seeking Behaviors Among High School Students, Dorie Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the United States, the rate of adolescents experiencing mental health-related challenges continues to rise, impacting their social-emotional well-being. Despite increasing concerns, the majority of adolescents do not seek treatment for mental health problems. One barrier contributing to a lack of help-seeking behaviors is mental health stigma. Furthermore, for students who have sought help for such concerns, there is a lack of consensus on whom high school students turn to for support when seeking help. The current study utilized quantitative methodology in the form of Structural Equation Modeling to examine the complex relationship between social-emotional risk, perceptions of mental health …

An Examination Of Positive Risk-Taking: Testing The Effect Of Modeling, Allison M. Schuck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Positive risk-taking is a common behavior which may be associated with favorable outcomes. However, there has been little theoretical and empirical investigation of potential predictors and pathways to this behavior. Both social/behavioral and psychological factors may play a role in engagement in positive risk-taking. Modeling, along with related factors (i.e., perceived similarity and perceived credibility of the model), may lead to engagement in positive risk-taking behavior and intentions. Further, internal psychological characteristics (i.e., autonomy, fear of negative evaluation, empathy, and previous positive risk-taking behavior) may also be associated with engagement in positive risk-taking behavior. As such, the present study sought …

The Incidence Of Peripartum Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections And Association With Illicit Drug Use, Elizabeth Wagman, Elizabeth Wagman, Rupsa Boelig, Sarah Boudova

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Morphological And Physiological Responses Of Cymbopogon Citratus And Pennisetum Alopecuroides To Saline Water Irrigation, Haifeng Xing, Asmita Paudel, Julie Hershkowitz, Youping Sun

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Reclaimed water provides a sustainable and economical alternative for landscape irrigation, but its elevated salinity can negatively impact sensitive plant species. This study evaluated the salinity tolerance of two widely used ornamental grasses, Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass) and Pennisetum alopecuroides (fountain grass), under three electrical conductivity (EC) levels: 1.2 (control), 5.0, and 10.0 dS·m⁻¹. Visual assessments over 62 days showed that both species maintained an acceptable appearance under saline conditions. C. citratus exhibited no foliar damage, with visual scores above 4.6 even at 10.0 dS·m⁻¹, whereas P. alopecuroides showed slight leaf injury but retained a score …

Modernism’S Mythic Mothers: Queering Motherhood Through Classical Matrilineage, Samantha Marie Lepak

Dissertations

I position this dissertation at the intersection of modern/contemporary literature, queer/feminist theory, and ancient Greek classics in the hopes of better understanding the spaces in which they meet, engaging with writers from the late modernist era to the present in order to highlight the connections between theories, themes, and practices of queerness from the modernists forward. Using the work of H.D. and writers following in her footsteps, I argue that exploring adaptations of Greek classics written primarily by female and gender-variant authors from the modernist era forward illuminates the extent to which the classics enables writers to “think queerly,” considering …

Maternal Access For Depression In Rural Environments, Simone Parlier

Dissertations

Significance –As many as 25% of birthing persons experience postpartum depression (PPD) within the first year after childbirth making this one of the most common postpartum disorders. PPD is prevalent, incapacitating, and treatable. The first step is identifying those at risk. Rural birthing persons are understudied, and may have unique predisposing characteristics as well as geographic challenges for optimal detection and treatment of PPD. Purpose -The long-term goal is to improve the health of rural families. Using The Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms, the purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional research was to describe the prevalence of PPD in rural birthing persons …

Ethnicity Through Education: An Analysis Of The Influence Of Formal Education On Ethnicity In Garo Hills, Samirkumar Benedict Talati

Dissertations

In recent decades, the positioning of ethnic groups within the educational context has emerged as an important area of scholarly investigation. The structural, institutional, and local contexts often determine how ethnic groups shape their ethnicity. This study draws from panethnicity and social ontology frameworks to examine ethnic consciousness and the processes of solidarity-building across subgroups within the Garo community in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. The unequal distribution of educational resources has led to socioeconomic disparities and class formation within Garo society, creating a growing divide between the educated and uneducated Garos. While acknowledging the diversity among subgroups, this study …

The Impact Of Substrate Structure And Catalyst Identity On The Lewis-Acid Catalyzed Carbonyl-Olefin Metathesis Reaction, Cory William Schneider

Dissertations

The formation of carbon-carbon double bonds is one of the most important transformations in organic chemistry, as they are integral to the structural scaffold of many organic molecules. Thus, the development and understanding of reactions that form such bonds is crucial. Lewis-acid catalyzed carbonyl-olefin metathesis is one such reaction. Like many others, this reaction is sensitive to both the identity of the catalyst, as well as the structure of the substrate. In this dissertation, I present empirical and theoretical works investigating how the catalyst identity and the substrate direct the reactivity of the Lewis-acid catalyzed carbonyl-olefin metathesis reaction.

Assessment Of Relationships Between Quality And Staffing In The Ambulatory Care Environment, Rachel E. Start

Dissertations

ABSTRACT Background The United States healthcare system underperforms compared to other industrialized countries where cost and quality are concerned. Nursing is accountable, as a profession recognized by society, to ensure health and livelihood in the patients and populations served. Advancing the role of the ambulatory care nurse and providing valid strategies to measure the contribution of the nursing profession in this setting is a tactic that many organizations are pursuing to achieve this paradigm shift. The assessment of relationships between measures of structure, process, and outcome within the ambulatory care setting across a variety of organizations may have the potential …

Exploring Latinx Students' Experience With School Connectedness: A Hybrid Thematic Approach To Deductive And Inductive Analysis, Maria Olivia Mendez

Dissertations

This qualitative study aimed to deepen the understanding of school connectedness experienced by Latinx high school students. Specifically, the researcher sought to explore how Latinx students described their connection to school during their high school years. Additionally, to examine whether their experiences aligned with the social and ecological structures outlined in the theoretical model supporting adolescent connectedness to school. If there is alignment, in what ways did it manifest? If not, how did the experiences differ? The study had two primary objectives: (a) to gain insight into how Latinx students experienced school and their sense of connection through their narratives, …

The Gay Dating Experience: Partner Selection And Self-Compassion In Short And Long-Term Dating Application Behaviors, Vinchenzo Vassalotti

Master's Theses

This study examined the potential of a self-compassion mindstate intervention on queer men’s virtual partner selection behaviors to encourage resilience in offset to previous unfavorable experiences. This study also explored how partner-seeking contexts (short-term, “hook-up”, and long-term, romantic) influence judgement. Participants were randomly assigned to a self-compassionate mindstate induction or a control group. Afterward, using a within-subjects, repeated measures approach, participants evaluated faux profiles within both partner-seeking contexts on a series of measures (“Attractiveness” ratings, “Confidence of Pursuit” ratings, and “Yes” swipes). The initial hypotheses were unsupported. When including identity-relevant covariates in the model, I found main effects of education …

Family Matters: Experiences Of Family Stigma, Addiction Recovery & The Role Of Self-Compassion, Kennedy Hoying

Master's Theses

Addiction and substance use is currently one of the most stigmatized disorders in society, creating a barrier to treatment and recovery. This study explored the role of family stigma, the stigmatization processes of family members of otherwise stigmatized individuals, within families of substance users to examine how stigma might affect family support behaviors. Two hundred and twenty-two U.S. adults who have a substance using family member completed an online survey regarding their experiences of family stigma, attributions of responsibility for addiction, self-compassion, and any supportive recovery behaviors they engage in to help their family member’s addiction. Results of correlation analysis …

Anthropogenic Litter In Freshwater Ecosystems: Effect On Ecosystem Processes And Spatial Distribution, Emily Johnson

Master's Theses

The rapid increase of plastic production and disposal into the environment has resulted in anthropogenic litter (i.e., trash; AL) becoming a global problem. In aquatic ecosystems, macro- and microplastics are long-lived, mobile, and interact with the physical and chemical components of aquatic ecosystems. Our objectives were to: (1) assess the impact of microplastic pollution on the ecosystem processes of ecosystem metabolism and N2 flux in an oligotrophic lake and (2) to assess the abundance and assemblage of anthropogenic litter in a large urban river. For objective (1), we added microplastics at a range of concentrations to littoral mesocosms. Ecosystem metabolism …

Returning To Simplicity In Early Daoist And Ancient Greek Thought, Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Alfailakawi

Master's Theses

Underlying both the voluntary simplicity and minimalist lifestyle movements is the sentiment that living a simple life leads to tranquility. Despite purported instances where tranquility is experienced through simple living (Hitz, 2020), one can identify instances where, despite living simply, one does not experience tranquility. If living simply is not sufficient for tranquility, what is? In this project I argue that “simplicity” is the inner condition necessary and sufficient to experiencing tranquility. While some argue that simplicity is a practical virtue (Compte-Sponville, 2001; Gambrel and Cafaro, 2010; and Martin, 2012), I argue that simplicity, what is linguistically defined as the …

Early Social Experience And Biased Attention To Threat-Related Emotion In Infancy, Cidnee Hall

Master's Theses

By 7 months of age, infants typically develop a bias toward threatening facial expressions, such as fear and anger (Leppänen & Nelson, 2009; Leppänen et al., 2018; Peltola et al., 2009; 2013). However, individual differences in threat-related attention biases in adulthood are related to socioemotional functioning across a broad range of outcomes, including racial biases and psychological well-being. Links between attention and socioemotional development may begin in infancy, with prior evidence demonstrating that both maternal well-being and race may bias visual processing of emotional expressions (Morales et al., 2017; Vogel et al., 2017; Quinn et al., 2018; 2020). Thus, the …

Parallel Use Of Low-Complexity Automated Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests On Respiratory And Stool Samples With Or Without Lateral Flow Lipoarabinomannan Assays To Detect Pulmonary Tuberculosis Disease In Children, Laura Olbrich, Bada Yang, Hayley Poore, Alia Razid, Brittney Sweetser, Mathias Weis Damkjær, Alexander W Kay, Johanna Åhsberg, Ruvandhi R Nathavitharana, Ian Schiller, Nandini Dendukuri, Andreas Lundh, Maunank Shah, Stephanie Bjerrum, Devan Jaganath

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Low-complexity automated nucleic acid amplification tests (LC-aNAATs) are molecular assays widely used to diagnose tuberculosis disease in children. The lateral flow urine lipoarabinomannan assay (LF-LAM) is recommended for use amongst children with HIV. Previous systematic reviews have assessed the diagnostic accuracy of LC-aNAATs and LF-LAM separately in children, but in clinical practice the tests may be used concurrently, i.e. in 'parallel'.

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of the parallel use of LC-aNAAT on respiratory and stool specimens in children, and with LF-LAM on urine amongst children with HIV, versus each assay alone for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis disease.

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Cy Empire Corp. V. Esther Mcintosh

All Decisions

The court granted a tenant's motion to dismiss a non-primary residence holdover proceeding against her. The landlord improperly used the pseudonym "Jane Doe" in the pleadings in violation of CPLR 1024. To use a fictitious name, a petitioner must submit an affidavit detailing the genuine efforts made to ascertain the party's identity. Here, the landlord's affidavit was silent regarding any effort to identify the occupant, who was a known party from prior proceedings. The landlord's cross-motion to amend the caption to substitute the tenant's real name was denied as prejudicial.

T.L Propertles, Llc V. Marv Elle Cumberbatch, Et Al.

All Decisions

In a "no grounds" holdover, the court denied the tenant's motion to dismiss, which argued that the landlord failed to add five days to the 90-day predicate notice period when serving by mail, per the *Landaverde* rule. The court held that the policy concerns justifying the *Landaverde* rule for short notices to cure do not apply to a 90-day termination notice under RPAPL 226-c, which gives the tenant months to prepare. Furthermore, since service required both mail and conspicuous posting, the timely posting on the tenant's door independently provided the full 90 days' notice.

Identification Of A Fusobacterial Rna-Binding Protein Involved In Host Small Rna-Mediated Growth Inhibition, Pu-Ting Dong, Mengdi Yang, Jie Hu, Lujia Cen, Peng Zhou, Difei Xu, Peng Xiong, Jiahe Li, Xuesong He

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Host-derived small RNAs are emerging as critical regulators in the dynamic interactions between host tissues and the microbiome, with implications for microbial pathogenesis and host defense. Among these, transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) have garnered attention for their roles in modulating microbial behavior. However, the bacterial factors mediating tsRNA interaction and functionality remain poorly understood. In this study, using RNA affinity pull-down assay in combination with mass spectrometry, we identified a putative membrane-bound protein, annotated as P-type ATPase transporter (PtaT) in Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), which binds Fn-targeting tsRNAs in a sequence-specific manner. Through targeted mutagenesis and phenotypic characterization, we showed …

Working Paper No. 101, “Universal Welfare” In Marxist Thought, And Its Implementation During The Era Of The Soviet Union, Eunji Jang

Working Papers in Economics

This inquiry seeks to establish that although in his writings Karl Marx emphasized “Universal Welfare” as a central ideal, its appearance and realization in the Soviet Union was affected by tensions between ideology and the realities of centralized economic control. The first section explores Marx’s vision of universal welfare as a structural component of a post-capitalist society rooted in collective ownership and human emancipation. The second section examines how the Soviet Union institutionalized welfare across sectors such as education, healthcare, housing, and employment, while access to these services was often influenced by labor contribution and political loyalty. The final section …

Citrullinated Eno1 Vaccine Enhances Pd-1 Blockade In Mice Implanted With Murine Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Alejandro M Sevillano-Mantas, Yihui Chen, Soyoung Park, Jody Vykoukal, Johannes F Fahrmann, Edwin J Ostrin, Candace Garrett, Rongzhang Dou, Yining Cai, Fu-Chung Hsiao, Jennifer B Dennison, Eduardo Vilar, Banu K Arun, Samir Hanash, Hiroyuki Katayama

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/Objectives:Cancer vaccine targets mostly include mutations and overexpressed proteins. However, cancer-associated post-translational modifications (PTMs) may also induce immune responses. Previously, our group established the enzyme protein arginine deiminase type-2 (PADI2), which catalyzes citrullination modification, is highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), promoting antigenicity.

Methods: Here, we show the workflow of designing citrullinated enolase 1 (citENO1) vaccine peptides identified from breast cancer cells by mass spectrometry and demonstrate TNBC vaccine efficacy in the mouse model. Immunized mice with citENO1 peptides or the corresponding unmodified peptides, plus Poly I:C as an adjuvant, were orthotopically implanted with a TNBC murine …

Georgia Has A New Habitability Protection For Tenants, But What Does It Mean?, Elizabeth Grant, Gordon Wayne

Scholarly Works

Georgia’s Safe at Home Act became law on July 1, 2024, and established the standard that residential premises be “fit for human habitation.” The Act strengthens tenant protections by targeting severe housing issues affecting 15% of Georgia households, particularly Black and rural communities. It adds cooling as an essential utility, caps security deposits, and mandates a three-day notice to pay before eviction filings. However, the undefined “fit for human habitation” term awaits judicial interpretation, complicated by limited legal access and rare appellate precedent. Though a key step forward, this brief Comment suggests that additional measures are needed to secure tenants’ …

Inactivation Of The Fusobacterium Nucleatum Rnf Complex Reduces Fada-Mediated Amyloid Formation And Tumor Development, Timmie A Britton, Ju Huck Lee, Chungyu Chang, Aadil H Bhat, Yi-Wei Chen, Rusul Mohammed Ali, Chenggang Wu, Asis Das, Hung Ton-That

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Gram-negative anaerobe Fusobacterium nucleatum is an oral oncobacterium that promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) development with the amyloid-forming cell surface adhesin FadA integral to CRC tumorigenesis. We describe here molecular genetic studies uncovering a novel mode of metabolic regulation of FadA-mediated tumor formation by a highly conserved respiratory enzyme known as the Rnf complex. First, we show that genetic disruption of Rnf, via rnfC deletion, significantly reduces the level of fadA transcript, accompanied by a near-complete abolishment of the precursor form of FadA (pFadA), reduced assembly of FadA at the mature cell pole, and severe defects in the osmotic stress-induced …