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Item A Phenomenological Study of Quality Teacher Education in Primary Schools in South Sudan(Creighton University, 2025)AbstractThe purpose of this qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis study was to understand the experience of quality teacher education in primary schools in South Sudan. Quality teacher education was defined as a dynamic process where there is the interaction of content knowledge and delivering that content. Quality teacher education also encompasses training for teacher competence, professionalism, the exercise of personal attributes and values, teacher relationships with parents and community, and teacher practices. This dissertation in practice document has three sections. The first section is the proposal. The second section explains the study. The third section is my own reflection and policy recommendations. The qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eleven participants who had taught without the teacher education qualification and had recently completed their teacher education program in South Sudan. The qualitative data were analyzed following Saldana’s coding method. The data obtained in this study enabled the researcher to identify and categorize the experiential themes into three categories, answering the study question, “What does it mean to experience quality teacher education among primary school teachers who have completed teacher training in South Sudan?” The categories that emerged from this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study included, (1) getting teaching practice under the mentorship of an experienced teacher, (2) understanding and developing skills and competencies in one’s subject area, (3) changing their beliefs and perceptions about what good teaching is after the teacher education program. Using the results of this study, along with previous literature, 3 policy recommendations for the South Sudan Ministry of General Education and Instruction were created. First, this study proposes expanding teacher education opportunities for preservice and in-service untrained teachers at the county level. Second, providing quality teacher education requires local educational officials to begin by promoting a culture of reading. Specifically, inviting primary-age and secondary-age students to read about teachers could help the youth develop an image of high-quality teachers that could inspire them to pursue teaching in the future. Third, this study proposes that local educational officials create partnerships to support teacher education programs by collaborating with stakeholders, enhancing the sharing of ideas and relevant research in the teacher education literature, such as in an online platform, and begin redressing the teacher education program more comprehensively. Keywords: Teacher education, teacher beliefs, teacher professionalism, quality, Phenomenology. - Loading...
Item Beyond Exclusion: Understanding Tensions Between Exclusionary and Restorative Disciplinary Practices in Catholic Secondary Schools(Creighton University, 2025)Discipline has long been a critical facet of the operation of schools. Public schools have often relied on exclusionary discipline policies to maintain order. Recent studies have revealed that these discipline policies have contributed to negative educational outcomes. There is little research about the school discipline policies and practices in Catholic secondary schools in the United States. Additionally, a lack of understanding surrounds the individuals in Catholic schools who administer these discipline policies, Catholic school disciplinarians. Catholic school leaders have long been both praised and vilified for maintaining high standards of behavior in Catholic schools. As Catholic schools continue to educate a greater diversity ofstudents, understanding how Catholic school disciplinarians implement school discipline policies will help Catholic schools as they work to continuously improve. Continuously improving discipline policies and procedures may help Catholic schools improve school operations and relationships with the students and families they serve. Through this study, I explored Catholic school disciplinarians and how they experience the phenomenon of implementing school disciplinary policies. I also investigated attitudes and beliefs and their application and administration of discipline policies to make them more reflective of the Church’s social and moral teachings. - Loading...
Item Misaligned: An Update on Trends in Data Privacy Laws and Their Effect on Individuals(Creighton University School of Law, 2025-04)In 2021, a data privacy white paper was published with the support of the Center of Consumer Law and Education—a joint initiative with West Virginia University and Marshall University. That paper provided a comprehensive overview of data privacy around the country (and indeed, a look around the world) and discussed various ways that consumers engage with data and data privacy issues—while focusing on West Virginia and the issues that the state’s residents face. Specifically, the paper provided the results of a survey of West Virginians and a set of focus groups held to discern what consumers in the state consider the most important issues that they face with regard to their privacy. A second edition of this white paper was published in July of 2024, to provide readers with an accurate assessment of the current landscape and issues regarding ways that data, its benefits, and the harms involved in its misuse can intersect. The white paper proposed twelve general principles to consider in relation to data privacy policy. The principles were designed for both businesses and legislators, to help these constituents by providing guidelines for each to consider as they begin considering what makes for robust data privacy. In this essay, we attempt to provide guidance for states that have not yet passed a data privacy bill. To that end, we highlight four general principles taken from the white paper that we believe would help policy makers and legislatures in those states create a robust data privacy bill and analyze why such protections are needed. By analyzing the work of other lawmakers and identifying how components of data privacy bills in other jurisdictions align with our general principles, we hope to provide helpful guidance regarding what an optimal data privacy law should look like—especially in light of survey information—showing consumers’ proprietorial view of the data. - Loading...
Item Development of SiRNA Incorporated Surface Modified Polymeric Nanoparticle for the Potential Treatment of Global Cerebral Ischemia(Creighton University, 2025)Global cerebral ischemia is a cerebrovascular disease caused by cardiac arrest or cardiac surgery. Chronic and excessive neuroinflammation is a major contributor to cell death in the pathophysiology of global ischemia, likely having a detrimental effect on cognitive function. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) plays a pivotal role in the transcriptional regulation of inflammation in this event. Therefore, inhibiting BRD4 may be a novel therapeutic strategy for decreasing neuroinflammation and delaying cognitive deficits. RNAi technology has the potential to overcome the limitations of current therapies. siRNA can specifically degrade the BRD4 mRNA, consequently suppressing the BRD4 expression, thereby protecting neurons from neuroinflammation. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) causes a significant challenge in delivering siRNA to the brain. To address this issue and suppress BRD4, this study developed PLGA nanoparticles coated with Polysorbate-80 (PS-80) and Polyethylene glycol (PEG) to incorporate siRNA and effectively deliver across the BBB. The study engineered siRNA-incorporated PLGA nanoparticles with PS-80 and PEG coating via a modified nanoprecipitation method. The nanoparticles were characterized for their particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity, and encapsulation efficiency. A detection technique to validate surface modification achieved via PEGylation was established using UV spectroscopy. Furthermore, in vitro tests revealed that lower concentrations of nanoparticles have less toxicity to N2A cells than higher concentrations of blank nanoparticles. Higher permeability of PEG+PS-80 coated nanoparticles was observed, suggesting their potential as a delivery system to cross the BBB and deliver siRNA. Cellular uptake studies revealed a higher uptake of PEG+PS-80 coated nanoparticles in N2A cells. Additionally, the nanoparticles showed low hemolysis and protein adsorption, indicating their suitability for intravenous administration. Moreover, in vivo studies demonstrated that these surface-modified nanoparticles have a significantly higher uptake in the hippocampal CA1 region, implicating their potential to be taken up by the neuronal cells and surrounding brain tissue. In conclusion, this study developed a novel delivery system for siRNA using PEG and PS-80 surface modifications on PLGA nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were characterized and evaluated for their safety and efficacy profiles, highlighting their potential as stable delivery vehicles for siRNA. - Loading...
Item Aerosolizable Drug-Loaded SPIONs for Treatment and Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis(Creighton University, 2025)Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most pressing global infectious diseases, with the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains presenting significant challenges to current therapeutic strategies. Existing treatment regimens are prolonged, systemically toxic, and poorly targeted, often resulting in poor patient compliance and limited drug penetration into granulomatous lesions in the lungs. To address these limitations, this study aimed to develop a pulmonary theranostic platform composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), capable of delivering antitubercular agents directly to the site of infection while providing T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast for diagnostic tracking.SPIONs were synthesized via the chemical co-precipitation method and surface-stabilized with oleic acid to ensure colloidal stability. These SPIONs were subsequently encapsulated within PLGA-PEG matrices using an emulsion solvent evaporation method, with Ethambutol and a novel MmpL3 inhibitor, N-(adamantyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamide (N2), incorporated as model therapeutic agents. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Optimized nanoparticles showed uniform spherical morphology with a hydrodynamic diameter of ~250 nm and high colloidal stability. LC-MS/MS confirmed efficient drug loading and encapsulation. T2 relaxivity studies demonstrated strong MRI contrast potential (r₂ = 73.709 s⁻¹·mM⁻¹; r₂/r₁ = 76.3), and magnetic analysis indicated superparamagnetic behavior with a blocking temperature near 50 K. Freeze-drying with cryoprotectants produced inhalable dry powders with MMADs of 2–4 µm, suitable for alveolar delivery. Cytotoxicity assays in A549 and BEAS-2B cells confirmed biocompatibility over 72 hours. The nanoparticles' extracellular antibacterial activity, coupled with their efficient uptake by macrophages, confirms that nanotechnology-enabled delivery can simultaneously enhance the safety, efficacy, and targeting of anti-tubercular therapies. This study successfully developed a multifunctional, aerosolizable nanoparticle system for targeted pulmonary delivery of antitubercular drugs. The integration of SPIONs enables simultaneous therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities, supporting real-time treatment monitoring via MRI. The PLGA-PEG-coated SPIONs demonstrated high stability, a high drug loading capacity, efficient lung deposition, and strong antibacterial and imaging potential. This platform holds significant promise for improving TB therapy through enhanced lung-targeting, reduced systemic toxicity, and non-invasive monitoring of treatment efficacy.