Digital Commons Network^™

Lived Experiences Of Preparedness Of Dual Credit Students For The State Of Texas Assessments Of Academic Readiness Exams: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Susan Fields Speights

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of academic preparedness to pass the state-mandated standardized test requirements to receive higher educational level course credit for students previously enrolled in dual enrollment courses at higher educational institutions on a Texas High School Campus. The theories that guided this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Rumelhart and Norman’s modes of learning. Maslow’s theory and Rumelhart and Norman’s theory guided the research study and questions when examining the shared experiences of dual credit students taking state assessments. The central research question in this study was: What are the …

Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, And Self-Care Practices: Mental Health Professionals Working In The Community, Autumn Brooke Wohlford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health has been thoroughly researched in recent years. However, following community-level mental health professionals' mental health patterns is an emerging concept in the present research field. Due to the recent high demand for mental health professionals in their communities, burnout and compassion have increased. In recent years, researchers have focused on increased burnout and compassion fatigue, as well as the use of self-care practices in mental health professionals. To further contribute to the research, using a quantitative research study, burnout rates, compassion fatigue, and self-care practices were examined in mental health professionals using a multiple linear regression. Sixty mental …

An Exploration Of Self-Efficacy Of Online Dissertation Chair-Only Faculty During The Mentoring Process: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Heather L. Strafaccia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the self-efficacious experiences in the dissertation mentoring process for online dissertation chair-only faculty at higher education institutions in the United States. The theory guiding this study was self-efficacy theory. The central research question of this study was: What are the self-efficacious experiences of online dissertation chair-only faculty at higher education institutions in the United States? The examination of the self-efficacious experiences of 11 online dissertation chair-only faculty was explored utilizing a qualitative transcendental phenomenological design. Participating individuals must have held an online dissertation chair-only role in a higher education institution …

Ontological Overtones Of Participatory Soteriology In Romans 8:1-17, Derek E. Wilder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The burgeoning scholarly interest in the concepts of deification and Paul’s “in Christ” participatory soteriology necessitates a deeper exploration of their interrelation with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of the increase in recent scholarship, the connection between participation in Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit remains underexplored. This study examines the relationship between deification, Pauline participatory soteriology, and pneumatology through an exegetical analysis of Romans 8:1–17. This exegetical framework posits that the believer’s union with Christ initiates a profound ontological metamorphosis, actualized through the Holy Spirit’s immanent indwelling and transcendent relational dynamic. The pneumatological dimension of …

Response To Intervention: Educator Perception Of A Systematic Framework To Support Reading Achievement And Improve Efficacy, Sarah Christine Ducko

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Response to Intervention, a multi-tiered system of supports, utilizes data-based decision making for early identification and intervention, and when implemented with fidelity, results in positive outcomes for student achievement. While RtI has been studied, continued societal changes and individual needs necessitate further research to shed light on current educator perspectives. This qualitative phenomenological study sought to explore educators’ lived experiences of RtI in reading with regard to their knowledge, training received, strengths, and challenges of implementation. An anonymous online survey was distributed to elementary educators in four school districts within Chester County, PA. Data was analyzed to identify significant statements …

Understanding The Relationship Between Nutrition Knowledge And Factors Influencing Food Choices: A Cross-Sectional Study, Kirsten Ann Blatchford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nutrition knowledge plays an important role in addressing the prevalence of nutrition-related diseases among college students. Along with nutrition knowledge levels, there are a variety of factors that shape how college students make their food choices each day. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between nutrition knowledge and factors influencing food choices among 267 college students at Liberty University. College students are a vital target population as their newfound autonomy can shape dietary habits long-term. Nutrition knowledge levels and food choice factors of Liberty University undergraduate students were evaluated using an electronic questionnaire. The …

Meditation Or Medication: Comparing Meditation To Phosphatidylserine In The Reduction Of Salivary Cortisol In Collegiate Tennis Players Post Exercise, Elizabeth Ann Novian Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a glycerophospholipid made in the body that is a part of the cell membrane (Carter & Greenwood, 2015; McArdle et al., 2019). PS reduces cortisol levels in the body (McArdle et al., 2019). Meditation is a “consistent self-care practice…that allows for developing loving awareness of current thoughts and feelings” (Valluri et al., 2024. Definition section, para. 1). Sadimi et al. (2021) used mindfulness meditation and found cortisol reductions were high. Meditation (MED) has not been compared to PS in reducing cortisol. Cortisol is increased in the body in response to the reception of stress input, such as …

Matthew For The Defense: Identifying The Rhetorical Purpose Of Matthew's Heptadic Γέγραπται Passages, Donald C. Mcintyre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Heptadic formulations are common throughout ancient Near Eastern, Second Temple, and biblical literature. Frequently, heptadic formulations are debated due to the lack of consistent identification criteria. This study identifies a heptadic formulation of γέγραπται passages in Matthew’s Gospel and seeks to evaluate the legitimacy of that heptadic formulation through applying strict identification criteria. Through those criteria, it was discovered that the Gospel of Matthew invites the reader to take notice of numerological data through the genealogy and continues to employ numerology throughout the Gospel. That fact being established, Matthew then employed the γέγραπται formula a total of nine times with …

The Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On The Mental Health Of Frontline Workers Of Toronto Homeless Shelters (Csws), Isiaka Omotosho Akande

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The objective of this phenomenological research is to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the client service workers (CSWs) in Toronto homeless shelters. Kolcaba's theory of comfort guides this study. This theory holds that being comfortable is one of the fundamental necessities for relief after stressful health care events or incidents. Comfort boosts health-seeking behaviors for patients, clients, and workers. In the context of the City of Toronto’s homeless shelters, Kolcaba’s theory of comfort suggests that if client service workers are given adequate resources to balance their health and mental needs, thus stabilizing their comfortabilities, then …

Evaluation Of Soybean Response To Sulfur Fertilizer Rates And Sources, Md Enamul Haque Moni

LSU Master's Theses

Sulfur (S) deficiency has become a significant concern for producers due to over 90% reduction in atmospheric-S deposition since the “Clean Air Act” was established. Soil organic matter, another key source of S, is steadily declining due to continuous tillage. So, we evaluated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yield and leaf-S concentration responses to six fertilizer-S rates (0, 11, 22, 34, 45, and 67 kg S ha⁻¹) across 50 site-years, and six fertilizer-S sources (no-S check, Ammonium Sulfate (AMS), Sul4r-Plus/Gypsum, K-Mag, Tiger90CR, and Poly4) across 9 site-years in Louisiana from 2023-2024. In S rate study, soybean yield responded positively to …

Corn Tolerance To Florpyrauxifen-Benzyl Rates And Its Mixture With Atrazine And Mesotrione, Amar Godar, Jason K. Norsworthy, L. Tom Barber

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Florpyrauxifen-benzyl is a new synthetic auxin herbicide labeled in rice with a broad spectrum of control, typically more potent on broadleaf weeds. It has garnered some interest as a potential broadleaf weed control option for use in corn at low rates. Field experiments were conducted in Fayetteville, Arkansas, from 2019 through 2021 to examine the response of corn to postemergence applications of florpyrauxifen-benzyl at three rates (7.5, 15, and 30 g ae ha-1), as well as mixtures of the herbicide with atrazine (at half or full rate), mesotrione, or a combination of atrazine (at half rate) and mesotrione. Injury and …

Comparing The Efficacy Of Artificial Intelligence Immersion And Human-Led Workshops For Enhancing Researchers' English Language Skills: A Randomized Control Trial, Ndubuisi Friday Ugwu Phd, Raphael Ezamenyi Ochiaka Phd, Ugochukwu Simeon Asogwa M.Sc, Adewumi Segun Igbinlade Phd, Kamorudeen Taiwo Sanni Phd, Toyin Segun Onayinka Phd, Obinna Iroegbu Phd, Michael Olayinka Irewole Phd, Jacob Kehinde Opele Phd, Abiodun Oyetunde Oloyede Phd, Ndidi Christiana Ibenyenwa Msc, Oladipo Adeyeye Olubodun Phd

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: Our study aimed to compare the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI)-based immersive training with human-led workshops to improve the English language skills of non-English early career researchers (NEECRs) in a Nigerian public university.

Methods: Our study employed a randomized pretest/posttest control group design. A total of 124 NEECRs in Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria, who met the eligibility criteria participated in the study. NEECR participants were randomly assigned to 8 weeks of self-directed AI immersion (n = 62) or human-led workshops (n = 62). A 56-item questionnaire collected data pretreatment, posttreatment, and at a 3-month follow-up. Repeated-measures …

Social Determinants Of Health And Medication Adherence In Older Adults With Prevalent Chronic Conditions In The United States: An Analysis Of The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) 2009–2018, Omolola A. Adeoye-Olatunde, Tessa Hastings Ph.D., Michelle L. Blakely, Lakeisha Boyd, Azeez B. Aina, Fatimah Sherbeny

Faculty Publications

Background: The older adult population is rapidly expanding in the United States (US), with a high prevalence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Medication nonadherence is prevalent in this population, with less evidence on the influence of social determinants of health (SDoH). Thus, the objective of this study was to identify and prioritize SDoH associated with medication adherence among US older adults with these comorbidities. Method: Using the World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health and Pharmacy Quality Alliance Medication Access Conceptual Frameworks, publicly available National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey datasets (2009–2018) were cross-sectionally analyzed …

Connectomic Dysfunctions Underlying Cognitive Impairment In Alcohol Use Disorder And The Link To Alzheimer's Disease, Graham Warner

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) are two disorders associated with a degraded life quality, high mortality, and poor prognosis. Recent evidence suggests that AUD is a risk factor for AD though the exact relationship between the two disorders is unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between these disorders by determining which patterns of functional connectivity are associated with cognitive decline in AUD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a cognitive pathology which frequently precedes dementia. Both resting-state and task-based fMRI data collected from AUD, MCI, and healthy control (HC) participants were used in this study. The …

Hypergraph Association With Lie Algebra Of Upper Triangular Matrices And Its Application To Wireless Networks, Supriya S

Theses and Dissertations

A hypergraph is a generalized graph characterized by edges spanning more than one vertices describing multiple relationships among them. It provides a mathematical framework for comprehending and learning about a wide range of real-world challenges. On the other side, the theory of non-associative algebras, such as Jordan, Octonions, Malcev, and Lie, has found significant impetus in recent years. These structures proved intriguing from an algebraic standpoint; they generated novel concepts and approaches that aided in solving specific classic algebraic problems, also progressing towards application.

A preeminent observation that galvanizes this thesis is that hypergraph association is still unexplored in Lie …

Guest Artist Recital Series; Winterreise: February 7, 2025, Nathan Windt, Marian Lee, Randal Richmond

School of Music Programs

Center for the Performing Arts

February 7, 2025

Friday Evening

7:00 p.m.

Developing The Evidence-Based Plan To Implement The Violence Assessment Tool, Yue Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations & Projects

Patient violence against healthcare workers is a prevalent issue in healthcare settings, manifesting through physical assaults, harassment, intimidation, or other disruptive behaviors occurring at the workplace. Workplace violence (WPV) can lead to healthcare worker burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and increased staff turnover. Various strategies exist to prevent WPV, with assessment tools being among the effective measures. This paper aims to develop an evidence-based plan for integrating the Violence Assessment Tool (VAT) into nurses’ daily practices to evaluate patients and reduce the risk of violent incidents.

Evaluating Maternal Drug Use Disparities, Risk Factors And Outcomes In Northeast Arkansas: A Pre, During, And Post-Covid-19 Pandemic Analysis., Enrique Gomez Pomar, Johnna Berryhill, Sudeepa Bhattacharyya

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The use of addictive substances remains a major health problem in the U.S. An increase in drug overdose and mortality was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in underserved populations. This surge also impacted pregnant women especially with the use of marijuana (THC) and opioids.

METHODS: Retrospective study analyzing mother-infant dyads with reported Meconium Drug Screen (MDS) results, from January 2018 through April 2023 at a reference hospital serving an urban and rural area of Arkansas. Due to the absence of universal screening, the prevalence of drug use was variable during the study period. An adjusted monthly positive rate …

Civil Rights And Sports Trailblazer Set To Speak At School Of Law, Marisa C. Atkinson

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Godfrey Dillard has made civil rights history on the basketball court and the court of law.

Cherokee Removal Along The Trail, 1838-1839: Separating Fact From Fiction, John Norman Patterson

Masters Theses

The misinformation and misunderstandings concerning Cherokee Indian removal has resulted from how subsequent generations of historians and Cherokees have talked and written about it. The historiography of Indian removal is quite extensive but with respect to Cherokee removal not so much because most of the original documents kept by the Cherokees unexplainably disappeared in the nineteenth century. The drought of 1837-1838 was used as an excuse by John Ross and Lewis Ross to insist that the northern route be used to remove the remaining Cherokees to Indian Territory. Evidence presented clearly demonstrates that both men sought to enrich themselves at …

Implementation Of Endotracheal Tube Cuff Manometry In The Operating Room: A Quality Improvement Project, Brianna Baker, Elisha Ross, Madelyn Wilke

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Background & Review of Literature: An endotracheal tube (ETT) is a device utilized during general anesthesia to secure the airway, providing a means for mechanical ventilation. The ETT features an inflatable cuff that ensures a tracheal seal and prevents complications. Cuff inflation pressure is monitored by manual palpation or a manometer. The AG Cuffill syringe is a manometer device used to measure ETT cuff pressure. The recommended ETT cuff pressure is 20 to 30 cmH2O. Deviations from the recommended range can lead to complications, escalating hospital costs, and compromising patient outcomes. Washington University School of Medicine’s (WUSM) Department …

Increasing Awareness And Use Of The Emergency Manual In The Operating Room, Joshua Danback, Annie Depenaloza, Logan Johnston

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Student Projects

Background and Review of Literature: Operating room emergency manuals function as cognitive aids, facilitating evidence-based treatment, error reduction, and better patient outcomes in diverse patient care and equipment-related emergencies. A concerning amalgam of stress, infrequent occurrence, and lack of standardized response hinders anesthesia providers’ practical experience during unexpected crises, potentially leading to errors and safety concerns.

Purpose: The purpose is to increase anesthesia providers’ utilization of the digital Stanford Emergency Manual (SEM).

Methods: All anesthesia providers at the project sites were invited to complete pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys throughout the project timeline. Surveys assessed participants’ awareness of the digital …

Cardozo Law News Brief: February 7, 2025, Benjamin N. Cardozo School Of Law

Cardozo Law News Brief 2025

Highlights from the February 7, 2025 Cardozo Law News Brief include:

• Cardozo's P*LAW 2025 featured a week of student-led public service programming, coordinated by the Center for Public Service Law.

• Professor Jessica Roth spoke to The New York Times and Politico about the possible dismissal of charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

• Professor Betsy Ginsberg was quoted in The Wall Street Journal on constitutional questions related to incarcerating Americans in El Salvador.

• Professor Andrea Schneider spoke to Business Insider about Costco’s pay increases for non-union workers and the implications for labor negotiations.

Kenyon Collegiate - February 7, 2025

Kenyon Collegiate

No abstract provided.

“Just Because We Speak With An Accent Does Not Mean We Think With One”: Immigrant And Refugee Leadership Experiences In Human Services, Jaclyn Kirsch, Hanna Haran, Arati Maleku, Yesenia Alvarez Padilla, Shambika Raut

SAGE Open Access Agreement Publications-Archive

Immigrants and refugees resettling in the United States face persistent challenges to integration which are often filled by community-based ethnic organisations (CBEOs) and their leaders, who are often immigrants and refugees themselves. There is a dearth of research on how these CBEO leaders make meaning of their leadership role based on their lived experiences and intersecting identities. Seven purposively selected immigrant and refugee CBEO leaders were interviewed to expand our understanding of the impact of immigrant and refugee positionalities on philosophies of leadership, contextual human services conditions that impact diverse perspectives and construction of leadership diversity in the human services …

Impact Of Developmental State, P53 Status, And Interferon Signaling On Glioblastoma Cell Response To Radiation And Temozolomide Treatment, Artem D. Berezovsky, Oluwademilade Nuga, Indrani Datta, Kimberly Bergman, Thais S. Sabedot, Katherine Gurdziel, Susan M. Irtenkauf, Laura A. Hasselbach, Yuling Meng, Claudius Mueller, Emanuel F Petricoin, Stephen L. Brown, Neeraja Purandare, Sidhesh Aras, Tom Mikkelsen, Laila M. Poisson, Houtan Noushmehr, Douglas Ruden, Ana C. De Carvalho

Neurosurgery Articles

Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors exhibit extensive genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptional diversity, with significant intratumoral heterogeneity, complicating standard treatment approaches involving radiation (RT) and the DNA-alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). In this study, we employed an integrative multi-omics approach, including targeted proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics, and DNA methylation profiling, to investigate the response of a representative panel of GBM patient-derived cancer stem cells (CSCs) to astrocytic differentiation and RT and TMZ treatments. Differentiated CSC progenies retained the expression of key stemness genes and survival pathways, while activating the BMP-Smad signaling pathway and upregulating extracellular matrix components. This was associated with increased resistance to TMZ, …

Stochastic Games Of Parental Vaccination Decision Making And Bounded Rationality, Andras Balogh, Tamer Oraby

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Vaccination is an effective strategy to prevent the spread of diseases. However, hesitancy and rejection of vaccines, particularly in childhood immunizations, pose challenges to vaccination efforts. In that case, according to rational decision-making and classical utility theory, parents weigh the costs of vaccination against the costs of not vaccinating their children. Social norms influence these parental decision-making outcomes, deviating their decisions from rationality. Additionally, variability in values of utilities stemming from stochasticity in parents' perceptions over time can lead to further deviations from rationality. In this paper, we employ independent white noises to represent stochastic fluctuations in parental perceptions of …

Effective Utilization Of Academic Coaches For Instructional Support In Online Courses, Tracia M. Forman, Jessica M. Sanchez

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Quality course management is integral to establishing a thriving online learning environment. Increasing demand for online learning has resulted in different approaches to online course management. The academic coaching model is an approach that provides instructional support for learners within online courses. This research examines the attributes, behaviors, preferences, and attitudes of online faculty who use academic coaches as members of an instructional support team. The aim was to identify effective strategies or best practices for successfully integrating the academic coach team model within online courses. A sequential exploratory mixed method research design was employed, and seven themes emerged: coach …

Association Between Combined Oral Contraceptive Prescription And Cervical Artery Dissection: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Robert J. Trager, Catherine P. Haering

Faculty Scholarship

Background: To date, research has identified positive associations between combined oral contraceptives (COCs) and adverse vascular events, however, evidence regarding the possible association with cervical artery dissection (CeAD) remains limited. We tested the hypothesis of a positive association between COCs and CeAD within one year following COC initiation compared to matched controls initiating intrauterine devices (IUDs), as measured by risk ratio (RR). Methods: We queried de-identified United States health records data (TriNetX, Inc.) from 2014 to 2024 for females aged 15–50 years without previous cerebrovascular disease or CeAD, creating mutually exclusive cohorts initiating either COCs or IUDs. We used propensity …

Applicable And Generalizable Machine Learning For Intelligent Welding In Automotive Manufacturing, Peng Edward Wang, Xijia Zhao

Faculty Scholarship

This review paper examines the application and challenges of machine learning (ML) in intelligent welding processes within the automotive industry, focusing on resistance spot welding (RSW) and laser welding. RSW is predominant in body-in-white assembly, while laser welding is critical for electric vehicle battery packs due to its precision and compatibility with dissimilar materials. The paper categorizes ML applications into three key areas: sensing, in-process decision-making, and post-process optimization. It reviews supervised learning models for defect detection and weld quality prediction, unsupervised learning for feature extraction and data clustering, and emerging generalizable ML approaches like transfer learning and federated learning …