Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Failure To Implement Decentralization In Haiti As A Constitution Mandate, Alann Fils-Aime

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As of 2023, after 36 years, Haiti has yet to implement decentralization successfully per its 1987 Constitution mandate. The situation that prompted this research literature is to fill the literature gap to investigate the elites' responsibilities and their neglectfulness to implement decentralization as mandated by the Constitution. The generic qualitative methodology was the selected design to better understand the reasons for Haiti, as of 2023, and after 36 years, to remain unable to implement decentralization per its 1987 Constitution mandate successfully. Policy feedback theory served as the theoretical foundation for this study. Data were collected from semistructured Zoom or telephone …

Ceo/Cfo Of Rural Area Nonprofits’ Experiences With Obtaining Grant Funding, Kimberly Michelle Bounds

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For many NPOs, obtaining funding can be a challenge. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore CEO/CFO rural area nonprofits’ experiences with obtaining grant funding for their programs. The conceptual framework that guided this study was the critical rural theory. Participants were obtained using purposeful sampling and snowball sampling via flyers placed on social media outlets. Data were collected from open-ended, semi-structured interviews with nine CEO/CFOs of rural area nonprofits. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six phases for thematic analysis. Seven themes were developed from the data analysis and placed in separate sections. The …

Exploring Forgiveness Among Female Adult Children Of Alcoholics Of Higher Socioeconomic Status, Michelle Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intergenerational trauma has perpetuated familial estrangement for decades within the adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) population. The purpose of this study was to understand forgiveness within maternal estrangement in female ACOAs to address a gap in literature on female ACOAs from a higher socioeconomic status. Bowen’s family systems theory (BFST) was the theoretical perspective used to understand the role of intergenerational systems, familial dynamics and patterns, and familial functioning that contribute to estrangement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 participants and data analysis was conducted using the tenets of the Moustakas modified Van Kaam approach. Through the data analysis eight …

Information-Technology-Aided Customer Relationship Management Strategies For Improving Financial Institutions’ Business Performance, Joy Kudakwashe Semwayo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Zimbabwean banking industry has struggled to adopt Information Technology (IT)-enabled customer relationship management (CRM), limiting its ability to effectively manage customer relationships and improve overall performance. Senior banking leaders must understand IT-driven CRM strategies to better retain customers and enhance bank performance. Grounded in functionalism and social control theories, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore IT-aided CRM strategies some senior bank leaders use to improve customer retention and enhance bank performance in Zimbabwe. The participants consisted of six senior leaders from different banks in Zimbabwe who successfully utilized IT-driven CRM strategies to retain customers and …

Ghg Inventory From Building Washington State Department Of Transportation Roadways, Milad Ashtiani

PSU Transportation Seminars

State departments of transportation (DOTs) are increasingly focusing on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially with new regulations like the Buy Clean Acts in California, Oregon, and Washington. This project, in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), aims to assess the agency's carbon emissions through a life cycle assessment of construction materials such as cement, concrete, steel, and asphalt, which are now under heightened scrutiny.

While WSDOT has already implemented strategies to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (related to direct and energy-related activities), there has been limited focus on Scope 3 emissions—those generated upstream in …

Cognitive Landscapes: Argument Evaluations, Misinformation Corrections, And Racial Attitudes In Modern Media, Dominique Lockett

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores three critical aspects of communication that significantly impact how individuals process information and form opinions in today's polarized media landscape. While the experiments in each chapter do not directly interact, they collectively illuminate the complex interplay of cognitive biases, misperceptions, and counter-normative speech in shaping public discourse. The first chapter examines argument congruency bias, demonstrating how individuals evaluate arguments based on their alignment with pre-existing beliefs while still distinguishing between strong and weak reasoning. It also investigates the potential of objectivity priming to mitigate these biases, yielding insights into the challenges of overcoming ingrained cognitive patterns. The …

Short-Term Neurologic Outcomes In Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Are Proportional To Bleeding Severity Graded By A Novel Bleeding Scale, Katherine Doane, Danielle Guffey, Laura L Loftis, Trung C Nguyen, Matthew A Musick, Amanda Ruth, Ryan D Coleman, Jun Teruya, Christine Allen, Melania M Bembea, Brian Boville, Jamie Furlong-Dillard, Santosh Kaipa, Mara Leimanis, Matthew P Malone, Lindsey K Rasmussen, Ahmed Said, Marie E Steiner, Deanna T Tzanetos, Heather Viamonte, Linda Wallenkamp, Arun Saini

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: This study aimed to characterize the severity of bleeding and its association with short-term neurologic outcomes in pediatric ECMO.

Methods: Multicenter retrospective cohort study of pediatric ECMO patients at 10 centers utilizing the Pediatric ECMO Outcomes Registry (PEDECOR) database from December 2013-February 2019. Subjects excluded were post-cardiac surgery patients and those with neonatal pathologies. A novel ECMO bleeding scale was utilized to categorize daily bleeding events. Poor short-term neurologic outcome was defined as an unfavorable Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category (PCPC) or Pediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC) (score of >3) at hospital discharge.

Results: This study included 283 pediatric ECMO …

The Current - Volume 35 Issue 4, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Political Context And State-Level Health Behavior Disparities, Jane S. Vanheuvelen, Yi Wang, Tom Vanheuvelen

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Geographical residence predicts health and well-being. Population health, life expectancy, and mortality are partially the outcome of the characteristics of one’s social policy context. Yet how do such links occur? We extend focus from health outcomes to health behaviors and from a policy context to a broader political context. Using 20 waves of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System between 1993 and 2021 in combination with the Correlates of State Policy Project, we find that right-leaning political contexts—both policies and public attitudes—are predictive of riskier health behaviors. Counterfactual simulations show that these associations are …

Minor Role Ii: Youth Under Age 18 And New York City Violence, Jeffrey A. Butts, Gina Moreno

Publications and Research

Researchers from John Jay College of Criminal Justice's Research and Evaluation Center analyzed NYPD arrest data from 2006 to 2024 (with 2024 figures estimated) to assess trends in felony assault, felony robbery, and felony weapon offenses across three age groups: under 18, 18–24, and 25 and older. The study examined concerns about youth crime following New York State’s “Raise the Age” law, which shifted most cases involving individuals under 18 to family court by 2019. While arrests rose across all age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, trends among youth generally paralleled those of adults. Robbery arrests among youth increased more …

Strategies To Empower At-Risk Males In Orange County Florida: A Community-Based Resource, Thressa Marie Fizer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Orange County, Florida, community-based programs provide resources for at-risk males who are impacted by social determinant challenges. This study focused on the client intake assessment process of Agency OCF to identify gaps that would benefit from enhanced assessment processes and early intervention efforts creating greater opportunity for program placement of at-risk males in this distressed community. Community-based participatory research served as the interpretive lens and generic qualitative inquiry provided the methodological approach to assess the client intake processes. Yielding no participant responses during recruitment efforts, the study pivoted to focus on an in-depth review of publicly released assessments and …

The Role Of Local Leadership In Enhancing Local Performance_ Dhi Qar Governorate As A Model, Haneen Qasim Hasan

Muthanna Journal of Administrative and Economics Sciences

This research aims to study and analyze the role of local leadership in enhancing local performance in the Thi-Qar Governorate, focusing on the administrative and organizational aspects that contribute to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of services provided to citizens. The research seeks to measure the role of local leadership in enhancing local performance. For this purpose, a set of hypotheses was formulated, the most important of which was to find the relationship between correlation and influence (local leadership with its dimensions in local performance). To achieve the hypothesis tests, this research was applied to a sample of executive departments …

Organizing Black Business: The National Negro Business League, 1900–1915, Adam Chamberlain, Alixandra B. Yanus

Political Science

Founded by Booker T. Washington in 1900, the National Negro Business League (NNBL) sought to unite Black business owners, promote entrepreneurship, and develop economic power. Despite its prominence in the early twentieth century, the group declined after Washington’s death in 1915. As a result, little is known about its organizational development. This study uses data on state and local Negro Business Leagues (NBLs), along with active and life members of the NNBL, to better understand the group’s first fifteen years. Analyses reveal that the NNBL’s development reflected closely the social and economic context of early twentieth century Black America. Generally …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 4 - October 17, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 4 - October 17, 2024. 16 pages.

Navigating The Digital Frontier: Key Challenges For Dental College Librarians In Managing Electronic Collections, Trupti Aniruddha Tulsankar, Vrushali Rane

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study focuses on the challenges and opportunities in digital collection management faced by librarians in Dental College libraries across Maharashtra. The study findings reveal that there are limitations in using e-resources and the ICT infrastructure in dental college libraries needs to be improved. The challenges dental college librarians face include unannounced hikes in the pricing of digital resources, poor understanding and interpretation of licensing agreements, interrupted power supply, and lack of skilled library staff to manage resources. By addressing these challenges, Dental colleges can enhance their ability to give students access to the latest e-resources and support their learning …

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Iv México Versus U.S. Versions In The Assessment Of Mexican Americans, Gabriela Ontiveros, Philip Gerard Gasquoine

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Objective:

To delineate score differences between the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV) and the WAIS-IV México in the assessment of balanced bilingual Mexican Americans and to determine the efficacy of five hold measures in predicting summary scores in each version.

Methods:

Hold measures were WAIS-IV Information, Vocabulary, and Matrix Reasoning subtests, picture vocabulary, and the Test of Premorbid Function (English)/Word Accentuation Test (Spanish). Using a repeated measures design, 60 neurologically intact participants were tested in a counterbalanced order, with WAIS-IV version as the repeated measure (mean intertest interval = 5.68 days). To minimize practice effects, the five visual-perceptual subtests, which …

Young Children’S Mental Well-Being In Low-Income South African Settings: A Qualitative Study, Catherine E. Draper, Caylee J. Cook, Elizabeth A. Ankrah, Jesus A. Beltran, Franceli L. Cibrian, Jazette Johnson, Kimberley D. Lakes, Hanna Mofid, Lucretia Williams, Gillian R. Hayes

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

This qualitative study aimed to capture community perspectives of the risks and protective factors for social emotional development and mental health of young children in low-income South Africa settings, and was conducted as one component of a larger study with the ultimate aim of co-designing the Mazi Umntanakho (‘know your child’) digital tool. Twenty focus group discussions (n = 154, 97% female) were held with staff of community-based organisations (CBOs) and community health worker (CHW) programmes in urban and rural sites from four geographical regions. Data were analysed thematically, and grouped according to components of nurturing care (responsive caregiving, safety …

Interventions Human Service Professionals Provide To Prevent Human Trafficking, Danielle James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking is a global crisis that impacts individuals across all cultures and communities. The purpose of this single intrinsic case study was to explore the interventions that human service professional directors use to prevent human trafficking in Missouri. Trauma-informed approach was used as the conceptual framework. Participants included seven human service managers and program directors who have successfully implemented interventions to prevent human trafficking. Data were collected from one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with six participants. The data were analyzed using Yin’s five components of data analysis. Seven key themes emerged: the need for multiagency human service collaboration to prevent human …

The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence On Project Success And Team Dynamics In Finance Organizations, Richa Shah

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

This research investigates the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) on leadership effectiveness within the finance industry, with a focus on its influence on team dynamics, decision-making, and the overall success of projects. The study seeks to address a gap in the current literature by examining how finance leaders apply emotional intelligence in high-pressure, fast-paced environments, where quick decisions and high-stakes situations are common. While emotional intelligence has been widely studied in other sectors, there is limited understanding of how it operates in finance, a sector known for its high demands and intense work culture.

The research employs a qualitative methodology, …

The Effects Of Internal Training And Job Satisfaction Of Library Staff In Some Selected University Libraries In South-South, Nigeria, Okoh Helen Ewere, Ogonwa Jacinta, Ugbenyo Safiya, Ezeanuna Ginika, Ufuoma Eruvwe

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study investigated the effect of Internal trainings and job satisfaction of library staff in some selected university libraries in South-South, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design using questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The population of the study consists of 89 library staff which was randomly picked. A total of 89 questionnaires were distributed only 78 were retrieved. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics mean and percentage mean score of 2.5 and above and percentage score of 50% were considered. The revealed that the effects of internal trainings of library staff in some selected university …

Media Framing Of Environmental Issues In Jordanian Digital Newspapers, Ramez Abuhasirah Dr, Rasha Salameh Dr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

This study investigated media framing of environmental issues in Jordanian digital newspapers. The study employed a media survey approach with content analysis of 335 journalistic articles published on the websites of three major Jordanian newspapers (Al-Ghad, Al-Dustour, Al-Rai) from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022. Multi-stage sampling ensured representativeness. Results showed all three Jordanian digital newspapers addressed environmental issues, with Al-Ghad leading (40%), followed by Al-Dustour (31%) and Al-Rai (29%). The study found a diversity of sources in journalistic treatment (officials: 29%, news agencies: 18.5%, journalists: 12.8%). Climate change (23.1%), water resources (17.3%), and food security (14.1%) were the …

University Students' Reliance In Hebron Governorate On Social Media As A Source Of Information About The October 7, 2023 War: A Field Study, Asmaa Musa Al-Adam, Sulaika Muhammad Al-Qadi Dr

Middle East Journal of Communication Studies

The study aimed to determine the extent to which university students in Hebron Governorate rely on social media platforms for coverage of the October 7th war. This study follows descriptive research, using a media audience survey methodology. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered to a random sample of university students in Hebron Governorate, consisting of 211 students. The study reached several conclusions most notably: that the reliance of university students in Hebron Governorate on social media to follow news about the war on Gaza is high, with a percentage of 69.5%. The study also showed that there are cognitive, …

Explainable Artificial Intelligence To Interpret Spatially-Explicit Impacts Of Future Climate Change On Species Distribution, Lei Song, Amy E. Frazier, Peter Kedron, Diogo S. A. Araujo, Diyang Cui, Brian J. Enquist, Brian Maitner, Cory Merow, Gabriel M. Moulatlet, Efthymios I. Nikolopoulos, Patrick R. Roehrdanz

I-GUIDE Forum

Biodiversity is essential for maintaining ecosystem balance and functionality, providing vital services such as climate regulation. The rapid decline in biodiversity, driven by habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and climate change, poses significant threats to ecosystems. Climate change, in particular, is fundamentally altering habitats, leading to shifts in species distributions. However, existing research often lacks decomposed contribution analyses, particularly spatially, for a changing individual environmental attributes when modeling species distribution as an aggregate result of all factors and their interactions. Such analyses are crucial for identifying climate refugia and prioritizing conservation efforts. Taking endangered mammal species as an example, this study …

Statistical Downscaling Of Climate Datasets With Deep Generative Model And Bayesian Inference, Guiye Li, Guofeng Cao

I-GUIDE Forum

Facing the challenges of global climate change, precise and high spatial resolution climate data are crucial and in pressing need for scientific research and analysis. However, most existing datasets are only available with very coarse spatial resolution and demand large-scale resolution enhancement. Meanwhile, climate datasets own much more intricate textures than natural images. Statistical downscaling or super-resolution (SR) with the deep-learning-based generative model might be a promising approach to address these challenges. It is worth noting that a learned Bayesian reconstruction with generative models (L-BRGM) method was proposed recently. The proposed Bayesian deep learning framework employs a single pre-trained generative …

Identifying Invasive Species Sightings From Geoai-Validated Social Media Posts, Nathan Fox, Derek Van Berkel

I-GUIDE Forum

The spread of invasive species requires scalable monitoring techniques to help guide management and conservation strategies. Here, we explore the potential of GeoAI for the rapid validation of invasive species sightings through social media data. We utilized the Flickr API to retrieve 23,000 images from posts that contained the names of 72 invasive species across various taxonomic categories within the contiguous USA. Then using BioCLIP, a computer vision model capable of identifying over 450,000 species, we assessed whether these posts genuinely contained the species that the user tagged. Results varied, with some species like the European Starling showing high match …

Remembering And Forgetting: National Identity Construction In Tolkien’S Middle-Earth, Sara Brown

Journal of Tolkien Research

The medieval period in Europe saw the development of vernacular literatures, grown out of oral tradition and classical mythology, in which epic poems were a means of preserving culture, sharing a moral code, and offering solace in times of hardship. These epic poems, usually transcribed or translated in monastic scriptoria, were passed down through generations and enabled the sharing of memory via storytelling. In many ways, this early literature, rooted as it was in both the religious and the secular aspects of life in this time, was as much a part of the identity of the various European peoples as …

Undergraduate Data Literacy In Engineering: A Collaborative Approach, Amber Gruszeczka, Nicole Galloway

Libraries Faculty & Staff Presentations

Data literacy is increasingly crucial to research across disciplines, and librarians are diversifying their skills to encourage students’ self-reliance when interacting with data. Two librarians discuss a collaboration across library departments to design instruction and materials to bring the fundamentals of data literacy to a freshman engineering course.

There's A Map For That: Showcasing Alternate Study Spaces During A Library Renovation, Kristen S. Shuyler, Emily D. Blake

Libraries

Before JMU's Carrier Library closed for renovation and expansion, the library's Communications & Outreach team created a new map to promote alternate study spaces in over 30 buildings across campus.

Influence Of Incomplete And Unverified Vote-By-Mail Ballots On Mail-In Voting, Susanne Lynne Timmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots that were returned inaccurately during past general elections contributed to votes that were not counted in Florida. Since 2016, more than 600,000 mail ballots were not counted in the state; 73,000 were not counted in Broward County, Florida. The problem was that VBM ballots were returned as incomplete due to missing or mismatched signatures and not counted during the election processes. However, it was not known if this issue impacted voter perceptions of VBM voting. The public choice theory was the theoretical framework. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of voter perceptions …

The Extent To Which Race, Ptsd Symptoms, And Attitudes Toward Help-Seeking Predict Help-Seeking Intentions/Help-Seeking Behavior Among Veterans, Lenora Elizabeth Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Veterans who are returning to civilian life often experience barriers to seeking mental healthcare. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, correlational study was to determine the extent to which race, PTSD symptoms, and attitudes toward help-seeking (psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, indifference to stigma) predict help-seeking intentions and help-seeking behavior among military veterans. Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior was the basis for this study. A convenience sample of 105 veterans (53 African Americans, 52 Caucasians) were recruited via Alchemer. Standard multiple regression analysis showed that help-seeking propensity was a significant predictor of help-seeking intentions, with higher scores on help-seeking propensity predicting …