Digital Commons Network^™

Food For Thought: The Impact Of The Gut-Brain Axis On Mental Health, Emily S. Miiller

Honors Thesis

Research regarding the role of the human microbiome has grown over the years as professionals develop a better understanding of the gut-brain axis. New studies and expanding knowledge on the relationship between the nervous system and gut microbiome promote a deeper understanding of the impact of diet on mental health. Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy balance between the gut and the brain. Incorporating nutritional modulators, such as probiotics, prebiotics, and vitamins, is crucial for supporting the gut-brain axis by influencing neurotransmitter production, managing inflammation, and promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. On the other hand, …

Grounded In Touch: The Science Behind Anxiety Relief And Human Connection, Misty Rhoads Ph.D. Czb, Mary Murphy M.A., Lmt, Czb, Mary L. Behrens Pt, Czb, Rhonda Salvo Pt, Czb, Sarah-Elizabeth Anderson Lmt, Czb, Clare Gowen Pt, Czb, Dawn Humbles Lsh, Czb, Veronica Quarry Pt, Czb, Deborah Rosene Ph.D., Czb, Wendy Tribelhorn Lmt, Czb, Jared Urcheck L.Ac, Czb, Deanna Waggy Otr, Czb

Journal of Transformative Touch

Background: Anxiety disorders are among the most pervasive mental health challenges worldwide, affecting individuals across all demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. As a leading contributor to disability and diminished quality of life, anxiety continues to rise in prevalence, exacerbated by global crises and societal stressors. This study explored how Zero Balancing (ZB) supports individuals with anxiety. Researchers hypothesized that ZB would lower the perceived severity of general anxiety and reduce perceived anxiety symptoms.

Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods phenomenological research design was utilized to honor the holistic nature of bodywork and explore participants' lived experiences. This national study involved 320 ZB sessions …

The Architecture Of Disability: Buildings, Cities, And Landscapes Beyond Access [Book Review], Shannon Marie Robinson

Disability in LIS (DisLIS)

This isn’t another critique of accessibility standards in design. Rather, Gissen revolutionizes approaches to architecture, public landscape, and urban planning by centering impairment, allowing for a radical interpretation of the historical built environment, and thereby provides a more inclusive approach to its future.

"Dental Health For Mental Wealth": A Comprehensive Analysis Of The Underexplored Impact Of Oral Health And Behaviors On Neurobiology And Psychological Well-Being, Brooke C. Beck

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis explores the link between oral health and psychological state, specifically, the effect of oral health on psychological state and how appropriate oral health impacts this relationship. A review of the literature was conducted and studies interpreted within the scope of oral health’s impact on psychological health and detailing some of the pathways proposed for such a link. The literature search was limited to the English language from well-known databases mainly from 2015 to 2025. A few outliers are present to include foundational information.

The effects of oral disease and oral self-care behaviors were dissected through a biochemical perspective, …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2025, 145th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Biological and Medical Sciences

Biology

Chemistry

Earth Sciences

Science Education

Anthropology

Applied Science and Technology

Physics and Engineering

Forensic Sciences

Ecology, Sustainability, and Environmental Science

Maiben Lecture: Mary Ann Vinton, "State of the Academy"

Friends of Science Awards: David Crouse and Daniel Sitzman

Exploring The Role Of Bingocize® Workshops In Enhancing Health And Well-Being In Older Adults, Kaitlyn Gray

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As the population of older adults grows, the need for better health and well-being also grows, making it necessary to implement effective strategies for healthy aging to improve the length and quality of life of older adults (CDC, 2024). This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Bingocize^® Workshop in improving the physical health of older adults. Bingocize^®, a unique program combining bingo with exercise, is designed to increase physical activity. Eleven (11) participants aged 68.55 ± 6.235 attended a ten-week workshop, two times per week focusing on physical exercises tailored to their abilities. The primary objective was …

Grounded In Motion: Finding Calm Through Daily Stretching, Everett H. Tai

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This lesson targets undergraduate students, reframing stretching as an essential, evidence-based habit for long-term wellness and stress management. The lesson's primary goal is to empower students to confidently design and consistently apply a personalized routine that protects their mobility and independence. Students will master the core science, understanding that dynamic stretching may augment performance pre-exercise, while shorter static stretches can be performed without compromising muscle performance, and post-exercise stretching can reduce muscle pain perception. This lesson emphasizes proper execution, requiring students to warm up first with 5 to 10 minutes of light activity with focus on technique. This practical knowledge …

When Emotions Flare: Solar Rhythms, Emotions And Cycles Of Political Revolution, Andreas Hernandez, Carolina Zilli Vieira, Alexandra Smith, Rebecca Olson

Geography and Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Revolutions are among the most transformative events in human history. Analyzing 395 revolutionary episodes from 1900 to 2014, we find that major waves cluster around solar maxima - periods of intensified geomagnetic activity. Drawing on biomedical research linking geomagnetic disturbances to cardiovascular and stress regulation, and thus to emotional states, we propose that solar cycles modulate the affective ecologies within which revolutions arise. Solar activity may accelerate, shape, and amplify revolutionary cycles by heightening emotional climates and tipping fragile systems toward mass mobilization. This reframes revolutions as planetary events - entanglements of political conflict, embodied emotion, and cosmic …

Neurobiological Variables Mediating The Relationship Between Breast Cancer And Sleep Disruption, Brittany Domenique Elliott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neurobiological Variables Mediating the Relationship between

Breast Cancer and Sleep Disruption

Brittany D. Elliott, MS

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women, with more than two million new cases diagnosed world-wide each year. Improvements in screening technology and diagnostics have increased survival rates, but cancer-associated sleep disruptions persist for the majority of breast cancer survivors well beyond the treatment period. In addition to reducing quality of life, reduced sleep quality is associated with greater incidences of affective dysfunction, reduced treatment efficiency, aggressive cancer progression, increased symptom severity, and increased mortality by all causes. Thus, identifying the variables …

A Comprehensive Usability And Economic Analysis Of Heat-Related Wearable Technologies: Applications To Occupational Health, Ryan T. Cannady

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to analyze the usability and economic considerations of real-time wearable technologies that are implemented in occupational settings to assess risk of heat stress and heat strain. The study population included current agriculture workers and Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Management (EM) contractors. We employed a mixed-methods approach to comprehensively analyze the usability and economic considerations of heat-related technologies. Specifically, our approach assessed three distinct aspects the applications of these technologies in occupational settings to comprehensively address our research objective: (1) worker perceptions of heat-related wearable technologies, (2) field-based assessment of these heat-related wearable technologies, …

Exploring The Interactive Effects Of Officer, Subject, And Encounter Factors On Police Use Of Force Outcomes, Jeremy David Barnum

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Police use of force incidents are highly complex events that can be characterized by factors pertaining to the officers, subjects, and immediate encounter. These factors and the dynamic interrelationships between them encompass the situational context of use of force and have been widely studied in the criminological literature (Bolger, 2015). However, extant research has almost exclusively focused on identifying the main effects of situational factors on use of force with little consideration of how effects may vary across specific situational contexts. This limits our understanding of police use of force and complicates efforts to develop policy or training that ensures …

Germline Mutations In A G Protein Identify Signaling Cross-Talk In T Cells, Hyoungjun Ham, Huie Jing, Ian T Lamborn, Megan M Kober, Alexey Koval, Yamina A Berchiche, D Eric Anderson, Kirk M Druey, Judith N Mandl, Bertrand Isidor, Carlos R Ferreira, Alexandra F Freeman, Sundar Ganesan, Meliha Karsak, Peter J Mustillo, Juliana Teo, Zarazuela Zolkipli-Cunningham, Nicolas Chatron, François Lecoquierre, Andrew J Oler, Jana Pachlopnik Schmid, Douglas B Kuhns, Xuehua Xu, Fabian Hauck, Waleed Al-Herz, Matias Wagner, Paulien A Terhal, Mari Muurinen, Vincent Barlogis, Phillip Cruz, Jeffrey Danielson, Helen Stewart, Petra Loid, Sebastian Rading, Boris Keren, Rolph Pfundt, Kol A Zarember, Katharina Vill, Lorraine Potocki, Kenneth N Olivier, Gaetan Lesca, Laurence Faivre, Melanie Wong, Anne Puel, Janet Chou, Maud Tusseau, Niki M Moutsopoulos, Helen F Matthews, Cas Simons, Ryan J Taft, Ariane Soldatos, Etienne Masle-Farquhar, Stefania Pittaluga, Robert Brink, Danielle L Fink, Heidi H Kong, Juraj Kabat, Woo Sung Kim, Tatjana Bierhals, Kazuyuki Meguro, Amy P Hsu, Jingwen Gu, Jennifer Stoddard, Benito Banos-Pinero, Maria Slack, Giampaolo Trivellin, Benoît Mazel, Maarja Soomann, Samuel Li, Val J Watts, Constantine A Stratakis, Maria F Rodriguez-Quevedo, Ange-Line Bruel, Marita Lipsanen-Nyman, Paul Saultier, Rashmi Jain, Daphne Lehalle, Daniel Torres, Kathleen E Sullivan, Sébastien Barbarot, Axel Neu, Yannis Duffourd, Morgan Similuk, Kirsty Mcwalter, Pierre Blanc, Stéphane Bézieau, Tian Jin, Raif S Geha, Jean-Laurent Casanova, Outi M Makitie, Christian Kubisch, Patrick Edery, John Christodoulou, Ronald N Germain, Christopher C Goodnow, Thomas P Sakmar, Daniel D Billadeau, Sébastien Küry, Vladimir L Katanaev, Yu Zhang, Michael J Lenardo, Helen C Su

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Humans with monogenic inborn errors responsible for extreme disease phenotypes can reveal essential physiological pathways. We investigated germline mutations in GNAI2, which encodes Gαi2, a key component in heterotrimeric G-protein signal transduction usually thought to regulate adenylyl cyclase-mediated cAMP production. Patients with activating Gαi2 mutations had clinical presentations that included impaired immunity. Mutant Gαi2 impaired cell migration and augmented responses to T cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. We found that mutant Gαi2 influenced TCR signaling by sequestering the GTPase-activating protein RASA2, thereby promoting RAS activation and increasing downstream ERK/MAPK and PI3K-AKT S6 signaling to drive cellular growth and proliferation.

Exploring Chronic Stress, Avoidance Coping, And Diurnal Cortisol In Head And Neck Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study Of Best Practices In Diurnal Cortisol Sampling., Brooks R. Harbison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cancer patients are vulnerable to the deleterious effects of chronic stress, especially those prone to avoidance coping. Research in the general population has linked these effects to aberrant diurnal cortisol. However, the current literature on cancer patients has shown inconsistent results in associations between chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol, possibly due to inconsistent cortisol sampling practices. This pilot study of head and neck cancer patients aimed to address this gap in the literature by implementing best cortisol sampling practices to investigate the links among chronic stress, avoidance coping, and diurnal cortisol slope, average bedtime cortisol, and average wake …

Derogatory, Racist, And Discriminatory Speech (Drds) In Video Gaming, Sean Woodford

Dissertations

Video games have been examined for their effects on cognition, learning, health, and physiological arousal, yet research on social dynamics within video gaming is limited. Studies have documented the presence of derogation, racism, and discrimination in this anonymous medium. However, gamers‟ firsthand experiences are typically examined qualitatively. Thus, this study aimed to establish a quantitative baseline for the frequency of derogatory, racist, and discriminatory speech (DRDS) in gaming. DRDS frequency, sexual harassment, and hate speech measures were administered to 150 individuals from online forums and social media groups. Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to gauge which factors affected DRDS …

Communication Research On Sign Language Telecommunication And Digital Modes Of Interpretation., Scooter Briody

Honors Theses

Since the invention and proliferation of the telephone in the late nineteenth century, our world has become increasingly dependent on technologically mediated communication. Nowadays we are just as likely to have our next human interaction through our smartphone or computer screen as we are to meet another person face to face. We do not even tend to think of these things as tools for telecommunication anymore, but rather as extensions of our own will. Despite the overwhelming convenience of this technology, it is also fundamentally created with the interests of certain people in mind. If you are able to use …

The Other Arctic: Competition, Cooperation, Or Coexistence?, John B. Kelley, Christopher J. Sarton, Scott A. Curtice, Charles C. York Iii

Joint Force Quarterly

In Antarctica, the United States must mitigate risks stemming from competitive influences working to alter the current paradigms, but it also should seize the opportunities that Antarctica’s unique status affords. As climate change continues to open new opportunities in polar regions, international concern has grown over the potential for the future irresponsible use of the area by actors more concerned with military and economic advantage than conservation efforts. Apprehension over the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s activities raises more significant concerns that Antarctica may become a region of military competition instead of global cooperation. This apprehension is well-founded but not …

Embodied Co-Regulation: A Neuroregulatory-Informed Dance/Movement Therapy Transition Intervention Method For Arousal Regulation For Adolescents In A Partial Hospitalization Program, Anamaria Guzman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis introduces a novel Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) approach, focusing on nervous system arousal regulation during transitions between therapy groups. The core of the method involves a brief 5-minute exercise designed to modulate arousal levels, encompassing alertness and energy, aiming to establish a baseline homeostasis. Rooted in Polyvagal Theory and Developmental Neurobiology, the approach assumes the co-regulation of nervous systems within a group therapeutic setting. Two primary outcomes are self-assessed: 1) somatic experiences documented through narratives and 2) nervous system biodata measured using the Flowtime headband monitoring of brainwaves, heart rate, and other biomarkers. Results indicated that all six sessions …

The Experiences Of Post Secondary School Completion Of Academically Talented African American Teenaged Parents, Adrienne Denise Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen pregnancy and parenting are cited as the reasons 1 in 3 teens drop out of high school. For African American teenagers, the drop-out rate is slightly higher, with 38% of teen parents leaving high school without a diploma. Living in impoverished communities with substandard educational facilities and opportunities, academically talented African American teen mothers must make choices about education and parenting. Pregnant teens must consider their future and decide whether to keep their baby, to complete high school or dropout, and if to attend a postsecondary institute. The problem is the low college attendance and graduation rate for parenting …

The Psychology And Impact Of Cheating, Jackson Smith, Hagar Ahmed, Michael Burrough, Isaac Britland, Barish Mertkolu

ENGL 1102 Showcase

This anthology discusses cheating as an idea, and its effects in a variety of different social spaces, digital and physical. We talk about how and why cheating occurs, as well as what is done to prevent it. Additionally, we discuss what more can be done to mitigate the effects that cheating has as it becomes more widespread due to advances in technology. The first topic discussed is how the architecture of educational institutions can affect cheating in school. The next topic discusses the variety of ways that players in casual and competitive eSports cheat, and what is done to prevent …

Virtual Reality As An Adjunct To Behavior Therapy: A Systematic Literature Review, Alya Alharrasi

Honors Theses

The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that by 2030, mental disorders will become the primary source of global disease burden [1]. Anxiety-related disorders, including specific phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and various forms of general or specific anxiety, are the most rapidly growing mental health disorders worldwide [2]. In the United States (US), over 1 in 10 American youths are experiencing depression, resulting in a severe impact on their personal, academic, or professional encounters and social engagements [3]. Similarly, anxiety disorders affect up to one-third of the US population during their lifetime [4].

Due to the growth of mental health …

Promoting Nutrition Literacy In Children: A Case Study Of A Community Partnership Between A University And An Elementary School, Candise Branum

Foley Library Scholarship

Background: Health literacy outreach is commonplace within public and hospital libraries but less so in academic libraries, where it is often viewed as not integral. Academic health science libraries may collaborate with public libraries to provide public health information literacy programming or “train the trainer” sessions, but examples of academic health science librarians leading community health initiatives are still limited.

Case Presentation: This case report discusses a collaborative project between Gonzaga’s Foley Center Library, the School of Nursing and Human Physiology, and a local elementary school to promote health literacy for students and their families, led by an Academic Health …

The Impact Of The Gut-Brain Axis On Alzheimer’S Disease, Elissa Wakim

Best Integrated Writing

Elissa’s review for the Graduate Biomedical Review focuses on the links between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain; the gut-brain axis and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. As a student in the Microbiology and Immunology Masters Program Elissa was particularly interested in the gut microbiota and their connection to neurodegenerative disease. She tidily reviewed the literature and wrote a fascinating and compelling piece of work.

Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention Of Women In Stem, Kira Carter, Jane Kelley, Jason Vasser-Elong, Rc Patterson

Dissertations

Our co-authored research ‘Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors’ analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and while careers in (STEM) are an integral part of the US economy, women are underrepresented in these career fields. The purpose of our dissertation is to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM majors. Our methodology included homogeneous sampling to collect qualitative data. More specifically, we consulted with academic advisors and …

Bars Are Not Fluid: Gender Identity And Women's Rights In Correctional Facilities, Camilla Juliana Gonzalez

Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership

The evolving demographic landscape of the American criminal justice system, with increasing numbers of transgender individuals incarcerated, challenges traditional binary classifications and necessitates revisions in correctional evaluation methods. Balancing the specific needs of transgender inmates with the protection of women's rights and their safety is critical. This research evaluates ethical frameworks within correctional institutions, proposing a compassionate approach to prevent policy manipulation.

Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted action plan, including establishing a task force, gender assessment protocols, comprehensive policies, and educational initiatives, all supported by ethical accountability. Three key policies—gender affirmation, zero-tolerance, and religious rights—are examined for their potential …

Understanding Health-Seeking Decision-Making Process And Behavior Among Haitian Immigrants: A Grounded Theory Approach, Shelleta Ladonice

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Black people in the U.S. die at younger ages, have significantly higher rates of death from treatable medical conditions, are more likely to have late-stage breast and colon cancer diagnoses and more likely to die from these cancers, and are at higher risk for chronic illnesses compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Accessing healthcare is crucial to health and well-being; however, U.S. immigrants' use of healthcare services is far less than native-born Americans. Haitian immigrants experience health disparities at the highest rate compared to other Black immigrants in the U.S. Given their unique history, culture, and immigration experience, it …

A Bioarchaeological Overview Of The Late Woodland Period Gooden Mound Group, Fulton County, Illinois, Aaron M. Durchholz

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive research in paleopathology has documented adverse effects accompanying a shift in subsistence strategy from largely nomadic, hunting and gathering lifestyles to those of more sedentary, agrarian systems. Comparative assessment of the human skeletal remains of early foragers and later farmers recovered from archaeological sites around the world have consistently demonstrated a decrease in average age at death in the latter.

Across the pre-Columbian North American Midwest, the transitional period between the Late Woodland and Mississippian periods, sometimes referred to as the terminal or Mississippian Acculturated Late Woodland, portended establishment of semi-permanent to permanent hamlets, increasingly reliant upon the adoption …

The Auricular Surface Of Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) As An Indicator Of Age, Kalila Garrison

All Master's Theses

Great ape skeletal remains are scarce and their use in biological profile estimations has been limited. Skeletal remains analysis provides key demographic information and ecological context to the individual. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) share skeletal morphological characteristics with humans, and this study seeks to understand if two noninvasive methods using the auricular surface of the ilium to age human skeletal remains could be applied to chimpanzees. The sample consisted of n = 8 individual left auricular surfaces from known age groups of both sexes. Firstly, the Buckberry and Chamberlain Method assigns numerical values to five different traits on the auricular …

Empowering Children With Special Needs (Cwsn) In Computer Science: An Interactive Hand Gestures Approach To Number Conversion Teaching, Renjith P.R., Jeeva Jose

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

It is essential for teachers to effectively address the diverse needs of students within the classroom environment, encompassing variations in IQ, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and mathematical proficiency. Ensuring the inclusion of CwSN (Children with Special Needs) is imperative to prevent social division in the classroom. While the department offers accommodations such as scribes, interpreters, or extra time for examinations, these measures may not fully address the specific needs of CwSN. This study explores the efficacy of employing hand gestures as a teaching tool for CwSN in computer science, particularly in the realm of number conversions. A machine learning-based tool …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Empathy Trait As A Moderator Of Leadership Behavior, Barbara N. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

There are indications that empathic concern for others has been declining around the world (Konrath et al., 2014). Empathy has long been recognized as a component of social functioning that significantly influences behavior that impacts relationships with others on both personal and societal levels (Batson, 2009; Davis, 2017; M. L. Hoffman, 2000; Stilwell, 2001). Leaders who apply empathy in their leadership can promote stronger connections with others (Gentry & Sadri, 2007), and foster social closeness and well-being (Morelli et al., 2015). While traits and behaviors are helpful predictors of effective leadership (Judge & Piccolo, 2004; Mumford et al., 2000), there …

Determinants Of Physicochemical Composition Of Palm Oil Mill Effluent - Implications On Environment And Bio-Digester Treatment Design, E.B. Tambe, A.U. Okonkwo, I.E. Mbuka-Nwosu, C.O. Cookey, E. Agbe, S.C. Onwusa, I.N. Ekpe, U.F. Evuen, J. Okpoghono

Applied Environmental Research

Growing need for renewable energy and addressing challenges associated with indiscriminate wastes disposal has necessitated harnessing wastes to wealth. The study investigated parameters determining the physicochemical composition of palm oil mill effluent (POME) generated at Agricultural Development Authority Palm (ADAPALM) and palm oil mills in its catchment communities, located at Ohaji/ Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria and their implications on environmental health and treatment approaches required. Survey research design was used. From a randomly sampled small-scaled mill in each community, and for the lone medium and large-scaled mills, four homogenous samples of POME were collected from sampled …