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Psycho-Behavioral And Psychosocial Factors Influencing Childhood Obesity In The United States, Nadia Ntori Nkansah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Young Adults Describe Their Lived Experiences Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Through The Lens Of A Secure Attachment, Martin Weinberger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Hiv Preexposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Satisfaction Amongst Female Sex Workers And Men Who Have Sex With Men In Cameroon, Zacheaus Zeh Akiy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Lived Experiences Of African American Male Baby Boomers Who Engaged In Teletherapy Post-Covid-19, Amber L. Dixon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

You Mean What? Commognitive Conflict In Resolving Contextual Logarithm Problems, Endrayana Putut Laksminto Emanuel, Fatkul Anam, Radhitya Duta Pradana, Anik Kirana, Sikky El Walida

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

Students’ approaches to solving contextual mathematics problems involving logarithms vary significantly due to differences in their prior mathematical understanding. These differences may trigger commognitive conflict during the interpretation and reasoning processes when students attempt to construct mathematical meaning from contextual situations. This qualitative study aimed to explore how commognitive conflict emerges as a mechanism of mathematical interpretation in students’ discourse while solving logarithmic contextual problems. Twenty students participated in the study and were grouped based on their performance. One student was selected as the main research subject for an in-depth analysis. The findings reveal that commognitive conflict appeared in two …

The Prevalence Of Moral Injury Among Veterans Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): Analyses By Combat Exposure, Gender, Age Group, And Military Service, Carl B. Forkner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, and the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, heralded in a new concept affecting our combat and support military personnel. This concept is known today as moral injury. Military personnel were already familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whether from personal experience or from reading and training on the subject, but no training addresses the prevalence or effects of moral injury. The term moral injury (MI) was first coined by psychiatrist Jonathan Shay and his colleagues based on feedback from military and veteran patients in 1998; however, it remains that …

The Hunt For Eden: Humanity’S Journey Home Through The Epics Of Milton And Homer, Hannah Pryor

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that the recurrent theme of loss and home in the Western Literature tradition reflects humanity’s innate and theological memory of losing Eden. An examination of Homer’s The Odyssey and John Milton’s Paradise Lost in comparison with the Biblical text serve both as literary companions and ethical dichotomies. Some of the greatest pieces of Western Literature highlight the greatest tragedy and triumph the world has ever and will ever know – the loss of Paradise and the hunt for Eden. Nothing is perhaps more heartbreaking and inspiring than reading and living the story of humanity’s journey home.

Post-Machine | You Vs. The Algorithm: A Creative Act Of Rebellion, Matthew Schultz

Masters Theses

Algorithms have become intertwined with everyday life, infiltrating both personal and social environments. They have transformed from influenceable tools useful for customizing information to machines of influence that are now dictating standards. These machines have begun morphing individuals idea of the self. This has become an epidemic of lost identity and fragmented self in order to conform to algorithmic acceptance. Emerging professionals in creative fields in the last decade have become particularly susceptible to this influence. If not addressed, young creatives will soon lose any autonomy of self and have a homogenized identity that matches the demands of the algorithm …

Satellite Of Mu'lysa, Ryan Christopher Miller

Masters Theses

My thesis proposal details the ways in which my early ideas for my novella, Satellite of Mu’lysa, came about amidst a time of personal despair. The early 2012 draft was darker, and emotionally draining, lacking a positive ending. In the course of over a decade of reworks and personal growth, both as a writer and as a person, the story is becoming a metaphorical diary of hope and forgiveness. Many movies, authors, as well as religious and philosophical texts have helped inspire and shape my story over the years, as I’ve revised my plotline and characterizations. Although I have always …

Creation As Calling: The Intersection Of Faith And Craft, Alexandra J. Slyman

Masters Theses

This thesis, titled "Creation as Calling: The Intersection of Faith and Craft," explores the relationship between creative writing—specifically within the epic fantasy genre—and Christian belief. The work is divided into three distinct sections: an Artist Statement, a Craft Element Paper, and a Creative Manuscript. The Artist Statement establishes a creative philosophy grounded in the biblical doctrine of imago Dei, or being made in the image of God. It argues that the human impulse to create is a divine mandate to reflect God’s glory and a means of bearing witness to the "great story of salvation". The author contends that fiction …

A Critique Of Richard Carrier’S Jesus-Myth Theory: Examining Select References To The Historical Jesus In Paul’S Epistles, John P. Nichols

Masters Theses

Richard Carrier is arguably the contemporary voice promoting Jesus-mythicism, the idea that Jesus of Nazareth never existed. Though in the scholarly minority, Carrier has assembled numerous arguments for rejecting the Gospels and Acts as historically reliable, as well as all historical references to Jesus in Paul’s letters. He has proposed his own rules for historical inquiry to replace the traditional criteria of authenticity used by historical-Jesus scholars. In conjunction with his own criteria, Carrier has demonstrated the use of Bayes’ Theorem to assess the probability of Jesus’ existence. This thesis has considered certain portions of Carrier’s thesis against the historical …

Celtic Catharsis: A Look Into The Emotional Appeal Of Irish Music In The United States, Coralyn M. Kutzner

Masters Theses

This research study investigates the emotional connection and interest in Irish music within the Irish musician community in America. The background for this study includes an in-depth look at the history of Irish and Irish music culture in America, as well as a brief overview of the connection between music and emotions. The study itself was conducted in various locations where there was live Irish music playing. Through the use of personal interviews and an emotional evaluation scale, participants were asked to recount their first encounters with Irish music and the emotional connection they feel because of and while playing …

Heirlooms, Jenna Ashby Macfarland

Masters Theses

The title of my creative manuscript is Heirlooms. It contains chapters of a fictional novel in the mystery genre. In the critical paper, I address Literary Tradition as it pertains to mystery writing. Specifically, I focus on the evolution of the mystery genre from the detached rationalism of Sherlock Holmes to the psychological realism of writers like Tana French and Liane Moriarty. Their styles reveal a shift from intellectual detection to moral introspection within the genre. Heirlooms continues this transformation by centering a female protagonist whose investigation becomes a search for spiritual and emotional truth. By integrating women’s voices and …

The Things That Keep Me Up At Night, Kaitlyn Grace Wilson

Masters Theses

This creative nonfiction manuscript is a collection of reflective personal essays centered on ordinary experiences, curiosities, anxieties, and observations that gradually expand into larger questions about identity, memory, adulthood, faith, and human behavior. Rather than relying on dramatic plot or chronological structure, the essays move associatively through thought, humor, research, and reflection. Subjects throughout the manuscript range from fireworks, sourdough starter, dreams, and Facebook Marketplace to art history, floating the Chattahoochee River, weddings, music performances, and irrational fears. Through these seemingly small topics, the manuscript explores the emotional weight and philosophical questions hidden within everyday life.

Much of the project …

Gertrude, A Woman Set Apart: Chosen Beyond Expectation In Polarized Womanhood, Jessica Lorriane Weatherford Mattison

Masters Theses

This thesis introduces the artistic vision and research that guide Forever Skies. The text examines the political and personal landscapes that shape Gertrude, the historical realities of the WASP program, and the feminist frameworks that illuminate how women navigated gender, war, and expectation. In weaving these elements together, the goal is not merely to resurrect one woman’s incredible story, but to honor the nearly forgotten history of a generation of pilots. Through creative interpretation and scholarly inquiry, this project seeks to reclaim a legacy still suspended in the wide, forever sky that once held her, the WASP, and her forever …

Values And The Black-White Mental Health Paradox, Tiffany Soignoli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative cross-sectional study explored the Black-White mental health paradox (BWMHP), which proposes that Black individuals have better or similar mental health than White individuals despite additional stressors, but the etiology of these differences has not been found. While self-esteem has been consistently found to differentiate Black and White adults in relation to the BWMHP, values have not been investigated. Therefore, using a total sample of 191 Black and 191 White American adults (N = 382), values were examined to determine whether they contribute to the differences in depression, stress, and anxiety, leading to better mental health. Chi-square tests of …

From Doctoral Research To Local Development: Education, Sustainability And Research Impact In Turmalina-Mg, Brazil, Ozeias Rodrigues Da Rocha

Critical Letters in Economics & Finance

This paper examines how doctoral research can generate impact in marginalised contexts through a qualitative case study conducted in Turmalina-MG, Brazil. The study explored the relationship between education and sustainable economic development through fieldwork across 13 primary schools and engagement with teachers, school leadership, and municipal decision-makers. Rather than treating education only as a sectoral policy issue, the research framed it as a long-term development mechanism linked to human capability, local resilience, and future economic opportunity. The paper argues that the impact of doctoral research in this case became visible in four main ways: through the generation of structured local …

Student Worksheets Based On The Local Wisdom Of Besilek Serawai For Sixth-Grade Elementary Science Learning, Mice Agustin, Tomi Hidayat, Irwandi Irwandi

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aims to develop a Student Worksheet (Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik [LKPD]) based on the local wisdom of Besilek Serawai for sixth-grade elementary science education and to evaluate its validity. The study employed the ADDIE development model, consisting of five stages: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. The developed LKPD integrates Besilek Serawai, a traditional martial art of the Seluma community, with the concept of the human locomotor system in science instruction. The worksheet was validated by two subject-matter experts and two media experts. Material validation yielded an average score of 4.26, equivalent to a validity percentage of 85.2%, …

Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (Ngal) And Urine Albumin-To-Creatinine Ratio (Uacr) In Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study, Nurul Annisa Yunus, Puspa Wardhani, Yessy Puspitasari, Satriyo Dwi Suryantoro, Zulfian Armah

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a major global health burden with an increasing prevalence and a substantial risk of progression to end-stage renal disease. Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) is widely used as a conventional biomarker reflecting glomerular injury in CKD, whereas neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been proposed as a biomarker associated with tubular injury and inflammatory processes. This study aimed to determine the correlation between serum NGAL levels and uACR in patients with CKD. The authors conducted an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design on 32 CKD patients at Universitas Airlangga Hospital. Serum NGAL levels were measured using …

Histopathological Evidence Of Irreversible Testicular Injury And Spermatogenesis Disruption In A Continuous Scrotal Hyperthermia- Induced Azoospermia Rat Model, Ageng Brahmadhi, Norina Agatri, Andi Muh. Maulana, Rahmadita Cahya Maharani, Dyanti Arisa Nurrizki

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a cause of male infertility characterized by impaired spermatogenesis. NOA remains a challenge for both research and treatment development. Reliable animal models are essential for better understanding its pathophysiology and evaluating therapeutic approaches. Scrotal hyperthermia induction is a cost-effective and technically feasible method for inducing NOA. However, the impact of different exposure patterns remains unsolved. In this study, a total of 30 adult male Rattus norvegicus were randomly assigned to control, discontinuous hyperthermia (every other day), and continuous hyperthermia (daily) groups. This study applied the heat exposure by immersing the scrotum in a 45°C water bath …

Issac Flores V. Brian Emig

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of Delaware

Fentanyl At The Border: A Critical Analysis Of U.S. Customs And Border Protection Strategies Against Synthetic Opioid Smuggling, Patricia Salinas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will investigate the efficacy of tactics employed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in detecting and intercepting fentanyl at legal ports of entry along the U.S border during the fiscal years 2022 to 2025. Given that fentanyl continues to be a pivotal element in the ongoing opioid crisis within the United States, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms by which this synthetic opioid is smuggled into the country and to evaluate the efficacy of federal initiatives. These efforts are crucial for protecting public health and enhancing national security. This quantitative study examines fentanyl seizure data from …

Exploring Teacher Experiences And Readiness In Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Jennifer D B Melvin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the perceived preparedness for the responsibility for the educational experiences of twice-exceptional students at public schools in Western Georgia. Twice-exceptional students, who are gifted and have disabilities, face unique challenges in academic achievement and social-emotional well-being due to asynchronous profiles and unmet needs. While evidence-based strategies exist to support twice-exceptional learners, appropriate training for teachers is imperative to ensure these approaches are implemented effectively. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory, as it posits that there is a connection between personal factors, behavioral patterns, and the environment …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Juvenile Justice Rehabilitation Programs In The State Of Virginia, Edishae L. Harris-Tyler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Juvenile delinquency and criminal offending have become significant problems in society today. Many offenders in the criminal justice system were exposed to violence and criminal activity at a young age. Early harmful exposure has influenced many at-risk youths in the community to commit crimes at a young age and develop into adult offenders. Juveniles in the community considered at-risk may be disadvantaged due to negative peer pressure, poverty, lack of parental involvement, illiteracy, and lack of opportunities for positive change and development. At-risk youth severely need structure, prosocial support, positive mentorship, and direction to prevent criminal activity and reduce recidivism. …

Detection, Persistence, And Rising Prevalence Of Oncogenic Viruses Revealed By Wastewater Metagenomics, Harihara Prakash, Ryan K Perez, Matt Ross, Michael Tisza, Sara J Javornik Cregeen, Jennifer Deegan, Joseph F Petrosino, Eric Boerwinkle, Justin R Clark, Anthony W Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Oncogenic viruses cause high-risk cancers in humans and are responsible for nearly 20% of all cancer cases worldwide. Currently, very limited data exist in the realm of wastewater-based viral epidemiology (WBE) for cancer-causing viruses, with existing studies using targeted approaches (i.e., PCR-based approaches) that lack genomic resolution. In this study, we used a hybrid-capture approach to detect, filter, and sequence all known oncogenic virus signals from wastewater samples collected over 3 years (May 2022-May 2025) in 16 Texas cities, covering nearly 25% of the state's population. Once sequenced, we used custom computational tools designed for wastewater metagenomics to assign reads …

Demographic Congruence On The Therapeutic Relationship Among African American Therapists And Trauma Survivors, Patrice Ann Warren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American therapists in forming therapeutic relationships with African American adult survivors of childhood sexual trauma. Although the therapeutic alliance is recognized as a critical component of trauma treatment, limited research has examined the role of demographic congruence in therapeutic relationships among African American trauma survivors. Guided by homophily theory, this study explored therapists’ perspectives regarding the influence of shared racial identity on trust, safety, cultural understanding, and therapeutic engagement. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 African American therapists who had experience treating African …

A Qualitative Intrinsic Case Study Of How School Staff Members Are Using Collaborative Efforts To Mitigate The Preschool-To-Prison Pipeline, April Y. Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative intrinsic case study was to explore the collaborative efforts to mitigate the preschool-to-prison pipeline among stakeholders at one public elementary school in a southern city in Louisiana. The preschool-to-prison pipeline represents a systemic issue in which children, particularly those from marginalized racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, face punitive disciplinary practices in schools, increasing their likelihood of future involvement with the criminal justice system. Guided by critical race theory and the communities of practice framework, this study sought to understand the systemic factors contributing to the pipeline and examined the strategies stakeholders used to address these inequities. …

A Link Between Emotional Intelligence, Age, And Diverse Learners, Christina Jedlicka Blake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative comparative study explored the complex relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ) and Learning Differences (LDs), focusing on academic, social, and emotional development of adolescents diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (SLDs), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and high- functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study investigated whether differences in EQ exist between students with and without LDs and whether age influences EQ development. The 102 participants included male and female students in grades 6-12, ages 11-18, attending a Christ-centered college preparatory school. Students completed a 30-question EQ questionnaire during the researcher’s class time, and online surveys were coded to identify …

Veteran Reintegration: A Strategic Approach To Success, Stephanie Irene Hennessy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A critical gap exists in non-clinical support programs for military service members transitioning to civilian life, especially in addressing purpose, personal narrative, and community reintegration. This study examined how a reintegration program addressed this gap through a unified conceptual framework—Purpose, Narrative, and Community (PNC)—which guided program design and delivery. The program was delivered through the Surf Brigade Foundation, a veteran initiative specializing in surf immersion located on Florida’s Emerald Coast. Using a quantitative pretest-posttest case study design, this research evaluated changes in well-being, purpose identification, and social connectedness among participants. Outcomes were measured using the Integration of Stressful Life Experiences …

How Do Veterans Describe Their Experiences With Homelessness In Rural Areas Within Virginia?, V'Tessa J. Watson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Homelessness is a complex issue affecting individuals across the United States and can be understood as a significant public health concern. Veterans are not exempt from this crisis; in fact, veteran homelessness has increased nationwide since the pandemic. In Virginia alone, it is estimated that over 400 veterans are experiencing homelessness, although this figure remains approximate. Previous studies have failed to incorporate veterans’ perspectives on this issue; therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe veterans' experiences of homelessness in rural areas throughout Virginia.

Twelve veterans participated in this study, which employed a semi-structured interview approach. A criterion …