Digital Commons Network^™

Third-Person Direct-Object Anaphora In Translation From English Into Brazilian Portuguese: A Corpus-Based Study Of Juvenile Texts Reflecting Orality, Marcella Cascione Cerqueira Netto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The third-person accusative clitics in Brazilian Portuguese (BP) are virtually extinct in spoken language and informal writing, although formal texts and contexts still retain them. Speakers often mark third-person direct objects using the stigmatized full pronouns (syncretic with the nominative forms), null objects, or full noun phrases (NPs), also referred to as lexical NPs. The realization of these forms is not arbitrary; it is influenced by the semantic properties of the referents, particularly animacy (mainly humanness) and specificity. Animate referents [+animate] tend to be realized with overt pronouns, whereas inanimate [–animate] ones tend to be used with null objects. This …

Asking Nicely: Americans’ Perception Of Jordanian Arabic Speakers’ Politeness When Making Requests In English, David Henen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how Arabic-speaking Jordanian male graduate students at an American university in Mississippi employ request directness strategies and modifications as polite devices in oral English, and how American native speakers perceive these requests. Drawing on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Theory and the Cross-Cultural Speech Act Realization Project taxonomy (Blum-Kulka et al., 1989a, 1989b), this study employed a mixed-methods design to examine request production and perception. Data were collected from six American English native speakers from Mississippi and six Arabic-speaking Jordanian international students, all at the same university, through six discourse completion tasks, six role-plays, and semi-structured interviews. …

The Effects Of Intervention With Prewriting By Drawing Approach On 9th Grade Students’ Writing, Leigh Sewell Pacileo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of an intervention, which included a prewriting planning with a graphic organizer and individualized feedback on writing. To improve the writing skills of ninth-grade students (N=30), a quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups of students. While both groups were instructed to complete a writing task based on reading texts and responding to a writing prompt, the intervention group was also instructed to complete a graphic organizer as a planning tool and was provided with both oral and written feedback. The one-way ANOVA results indicated no significant difference in writing performance between the two groups …

Current Knowledge And Perspectives Of Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport In An Athletic Environment, Meredith Rebecca Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sport performance personnel are in a unique position to directly impact athletes. While the primary individuals who manage athlete health are physicians, sport dietitians, and certified athletic trainers, sport coaches and strength and conditioning coaches also play an impactful role in an athlete’s performance and well-being. Using an original survey, this study investigated REDs knowledge by certified athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches and sport coaches. The survey was employed to assess sport performance professionals’ general knowledge of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) and low energy availability (LEA) and opinions on the role of health professionals in REDs identification, …

Building Focus: Using Relaxation Music To Support Students With Autism In The Classroom, Whitney Drewrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the use of audio sensory input, specifically, relaxation music, as a strategy to reduce off-task behavior in elementary students with autism within the general education classroom. The aim was to minimize distractions and teacher redirections, thereby promoting a more inclusive and productive learning environment for all students. Guided by the principles of improvement science, the research employed a single-case design with three elementary students diagnosed with autism. Data were collected through momentary time sampling and mood inventories during independent classwork periods.

The central research question guiding this study was: What effect does relaxation music have on the …

From Awareness To Action: Improving Advanced Directives With The Five Wishes In College Aged Young Adults, Dina M. Giovanetti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quality improvement project aimed to increase early education, initiation, documentation, and completion rates of advance directives (ADs), specifically the Five Wishes, among college-aged young adults (18–24 years old) in a concierge primary care setting. The project addressed the low engagement and completion rates of ADs in this population, which can result in inadequate end-of-life care planning. The initiative involved training all staff members through collaborative instruction, informational sessions, and personalized provider-patient discussions. A convenience sample of eligible patients was identified via chart review. Inclusion criteria included English-speaking young adults aged 18–24, regardless of comorbid conditions who were members of …

Creating A Growth Mindset: A Mixed-Methods Program Review Research Study On The Effects Of Social–Emotional Learning On Retained Third-Grade Students, Casshaunda Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Mississippi’s public elementary schools, third-grade students are faced with promotion–retention decisions from the third-grade state assessment and, when retention is the outcome, students often experience negative emotional outcomes. In our school setting, the challenge is how better to help our retained, third-grade students to cope with retention and to grow a strong mindset of self-efficacy towards academic achievement after experiencing retention. This mixed-methods program review research study was conducted to institute a social–emotional learning intervention program in our existing MTSS behavioral program offered to Tier III (at-risk) students. I followed an intervention program to foster a growth mindset for …

Topic Modeling And Culturomic Analysis Of 30,000 Books Over 100 Years Using Gensim, Michael A. Freeman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the cultural influence of historical events on English-language fiction published between 1820 and 1929. Using a corpus of 30,256 digitized books from Project Gutenberg, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling was applied to identify recurring themes across eleven decades. The study sought to determine whether historically significant events could be detected within fictional narratives. One clear instance emerged: Napoleon Bonaparte and the Napoleonic Wars appeared explicitly in the 1820s corpus. Beyond this, several thematic patterns were observed—such as maritime language in the 1840s, national identity in the 1880s, and youth-oriented dialogue in the early 20th century—that plausibly …

Avaren-Fc's Effects On Lymphoma Cells., Jacob Hahn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the therapeutic potential of Avaren-Fc (AvFc), a novel lectin fusion protein that integrates the Fc region of human IgG1 with the engineered lectin Avaren, specifically targeting lymphoma. The study delineates the in vitro binding capabilities of Avaren-Fc with a human B-cell lymphoma cell line, a canine B-cell lymphoma cell line, healthy canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and healthy human PBMCs. AvFc was shown to exhibit significant binding to human lymphoma cells. Furthermore, the direct cytotoxicity of Avaren-Fc against canine lymphoma cells, canine lymphoma cells and healthy canine PBMCs was assessed. It was found that there is …

Enzymatic Depletion Of Adenosine To Potentiate Cancer Immunotherapy., Omar Sadi Sarkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, but many patients still do not respond well. To improve therapeutic outcomes, chemotherapy is often combined with immunotherapy, as chemotherapy is known to promote immunogenicity. However, many patients develop resistance to this combination therapy, and the reasons behind it are not fully understood. In this study, we explored how platinum-based chemotherapy, specifically cisplatin, affects tumor signaling to create an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). We found cisplatin triggers ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM)-mediated DNA damage signaling and induces higher expression of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) via a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mediated pathway. We speculate DNA …

Examing Fear Conditioning/Extinction And The Role Of The Amygdala In Human Neuroimaging., Olivia Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fear plays a crucial role in survival but can lead to psychological disorders when dysregulated. Fears can be innate due to evolutionary relevance or learned through associative processes, where predictive accuracy of threat is pivotal. Disruptions in fear neurocircuitry contribute to anxiety disorders, characterized by heightened activation and impaired learning. Fear conditioning and extinction paradigms based on classical Pavlovian conditioning have been used to study mechanisms underlying fear learning. Using this experimental model, fear networks in rodents have been described in detail with clear distinction between conditioning and extinction neural functioning. Yet, there is no consensus on the neurobiological processes …

Spectroscopic Studies Of Metal Containing Molecules Under Jet-Cooled Conditions Using Laster-Induced Fluoresence (Lif) And Dispersed Fluorescence (Df) Techniques., Md Touhidul Islam

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the jet-cooled spectroscopy of the calcium propoxide radical (CaOC₃H₇) to understand how increasing molecular complexity reshapes symmetry, electronic degeneracy, and vibronic coupling. Moving from Ca–OCH₃ to Ca–OC₃H₇ lowers symmetry (C₃v → Cs → C₁) and exposes effects such as spin–orbit splitting and both Jahn–Teller and pseudo–Jahn–Teller distortions. These features remodel the excited-state potential surfaces and are directly observable with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and dispersed fluorescence (DF). A central goal is to evaluate whether CaOC₃H₇ supports the near-diagonal vibronic branching needed for efficient optical cycling, while also highlighting implications for catalysis and astrochemistry, where precise spectral fingerprints guide …

Experiences Of Title Ix Hearing Panel Members., Amanda Gage Stonecipher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of allegations of sexual misconduct on college campuses has been increasing over the past decade and higher education institutions are charged with addressing the misconduct. Addressing student behavior on college campuses through a conduct process is woven into the fabric of higher education, and many institutions use a hearing panel model to determine if institutional policies were violated. My research aims to explore how student conduct hearing panel members process the tension between the emotional management required when hearing intimate and traumatic details of a sexual misconduct case. The data for this research were collected via semi structured …

The Role Of Law Enforcement In Sexual Assault Kit Submissions: A Statewide Analysis Of Decision-Making Processes & Focal Concerns In Kentucky., Rychelle Elizabeth Wilks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault case attrition persists throughout the criminal justice system, partly due to inconsistent Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) submission decisions. This dissertation examines factors influencing police officers' decisions to submit SAKs for forensic testing, applying the focal concerns perspective to understand how legal and extra-legal characteristics shape these decisions. Using statewide Kentucky data from July 2007 to March 2018, this study analyzed 2,194 adult sexual assault cases from 192 law enforcement agencies. Of these cases, 1,520 (69.3%) resulted in SAK submission. Logistic regression analyses examined the full sample, as well as four subsamples. Results provide mixed support for focal concerns …

Optical, Mechanical, And Transport Characterization Of Two-Dimensional Magnetic Materials., Hiruni Weerahennedige

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates the structural, magnetic, thermoelectric, and optoelectronic behavior of layered two-dimensional (2D) materials, with emphasis on Fe₃GeTe₂, Ni-substituted Fe₃GeTe₂ alloys, and GeSe. The study aims to clarify how dimensionality, alloying, and external perturbations influence charge transport, magnetic ordering, and light-matter interactions in van der Waals crystals. Single crystals of Fe₃GeTe₂ and (Ni_xFe_1-x)₃GeTe₂ (x = 0-1) were synthesized by chemical vapor transport and characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy resolved symmetry-dependent phonon modes and …

Symmetry, Stability, And Robust Optimization Strategies For Nonorthogonal Multiconfiguration Self-Consistent Field Wavefunctions., Zihui Song

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The "different orbital different configuration" (DODC) framework is a general formulation of multireference wavefunctions that allows each configuration (determinant) to possess its own set of optimized molecular orbitals, rather than sharing a common orbital basis as in conventional orthogonal configuration interaction (CI) or Complete Active Space Self-Consistent Field (CASSCF) methods. One prominent example of the DODC framework is the Nonorthogonal Configuration Interaction (NOCI) method, which relaxes the orthogonality constraint between the orbitals of different configurations. This relaxation enables a compact yet flexible description of systems exhibiting strong correlation. By employing multiple nonorthogonal reference determinants, NOCI naturally incorporates orbital relaxation and …

Characterizing The Ethanol Sensitivity Of The Planar Cell Polarity Pathway In Endoderm Morphogenesis And Jaw Development., Raéden Omneil C. C. Rolle Gray

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) describes a large range of developmental defects due to prenatal alcohol exposure. It is characterized by neural and facial defects, including jaw hypoplasia. Many factors contribute to the susceptibility of ethanol-induced facial defects, including genetics, yet the genes involved, and the cell events they regulate, are poorly understood. Zebrafish have a large number of tools for genetic manipulation available, share 70% of genes with humans, are fertilized externally and are translucent during embryogenesis, making them great models to study FASD. Previous studies show that two members of the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway, zebrafish vangl2 …

The Ecology Of Arthropod Rain In A Tropical Forest., Andrew Robert Seiler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tropical forests are structured by complex vertical linkages and nutrient exchanges between canopy and understory habitats. These linkages include the downward flux of organisms, the movement of canopy fauna, and the recycling of nutrients through litter and organic matter deposition. This dissertation investigates arthropod rain and its role in connecting the canopy and forest floor processes in a lowland tropical forest in Panama. Chapter 2 quantifies “arthropod rain”, the fall of canopy arthropods into the understory. Using pan and pole traps, I measured the composition, abundance, and biomass of arthropods falling from the canopy and assessed environmental drivers of the …

Safety Evaluation Of Epicertin, An Oral Biotherapeutic Candidate For Treating Ulcerative Colitis: A 28-Day Repeated Dose Toxicity Study., Jimmy Fernando Cifuentes Jimenez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by chronic, relapsing inflammation of the colon and rectum with limited treatment options. Among them, immunosuppressive agents have a high rate of adverse side effects and do not cure the disease. EPICERTIN (EPT), a recombinant variant of the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) with a C-terminal hexapeptide extension consisting of a KDEL endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention motif, is a promising oral biotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of UC. EPT has demonstrated mucosal healing activity in mouse models of colitis and human colonic explants. EPT's mechanism of action involves binding to GM1 …

Artificial Intelligence For Cancer Imaging: Integrated Frameworks For Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Pulmonary Nodules., Ahmed Muhammed Sherif Mostafa Alksas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reliable, reproducible, and clinically useful artificial intelligence (AI) for oncologic imaging requires more than high headline metrics: it demands principled pipelines, calibrated predictions, and designs that generalize across anatomy, scanners, and institutions. This dissertation develops such pipelines in two complementary domains— hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on multiphase CT/MRI and indeterminate pulmonary nodules on thin-slice CT—while articulating evaluation and reporting practices that support credible clinical translation. The work proceeds in six core chapters. Two focused reviews synthesize the state of the art in (i) radiomics/AI for HCC and (ii) early assessment of lung nodules, mapping common pitfalls (data leakage, class imbalance, kernel …

Congolese Mothers' Beliefs That Influence Health-Seeking Behaviors For Their Infants., Shawn Meiman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2024, approximately 100,000 refugees were admitted to the United States, with 20% coming from the DRC, while Kentucky continues to rank fourth in the country for refugee resettlement. The increasing number of Congolese refugee children in the United States and Kentucky necessitates a greater understanding of these beliefs and practices to ensure equitable, quality, and culturally informed health services. The purpose of this study was to explore Congolese refugee mothers’ culturally and socially situated beliefs, perceptions, practices, and resources related to health care that may influence their views and practices of preventive well-child health care for their infants in …

The Role Of Psychological Capital And Case Management Intensity In Patient Activation In Permanent Supportive Housing Residents., Sarah J. Carter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores patient engagement with health, or patient activation, in the formerly homeless population housed in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and receiving case management support. Research is limited on patient activation in PSH residents; consequently, there is minimal understanding of factors contributing to one’s attitudes and behavior towards health care in this group. Psychological Capital refers to the components of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Research in other marginalized groups indicates increasing psychological capital may improve health behaviors. Case management provides support to PSH residents and forms of social support have been associated with improved health outcomes. Applying the …

Scalable Carbon-Based Electrodes For Hole-Transport Layer-Free Perovskite Solar Cells., Sharmin Akter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have rapidly reached certified single-junction efficiencies near 26%, but deployment is still limited by operational instability, scale-up challenges, and the cost and complexity of typical device stacks. This dissertation explores a simpler, scalable approach: HTL-free PSCs using low-cost, chemically robust carbon (e.g., carbon black) counter electrodes compatible with low-temperature, solution processing. This work demonstrates how carbon-ink formulation, scalable deposition (blade vs. slot-die), and work-function-tuning additives control film quality, interfacial energetics, and device performance. Carbon inks were developed for both coating methods by systematically varying carbon-to-binder ratio, polymer chemistry, and solvent system. Among the binders screened, ethyl …

Emerging Solid Electrolytes For Solid-State Sodium Batteries: Synthesis And Interface Study., Xiaolin Guo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, solid-state batteries have attracted significant attention as the next-generation energy storage technology due to their higher energy density and enhanced safety. Given the abundant sodium (Na) resources relative to lithium (Li), the development of sodium-based batteries has become increasingly compelling. Within a solid-state battery, the solid electrolytes (SEs) serve the dual function of (i) electronically insulating and physically separating the electrodes, and (ii) transporting ions between the anode and cathode. To meet these essential requirements, ideal SEs must process high ionic conductivity with negligible electronic conductivity, robust structural and chemical stability, a wide electrochemical window, and …

From 2d To 3d: Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning For Spectrum-Constrained Urban Air Mobility., Qingyang Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) are accelerating a transformation of air transportation but face acute spectrum congestion in dense urban environments. Reliable Control and Non-Payload Communications (CNPC) must be maintained at all times to ensure safe operations, even as fleets of aerial vehicles (AVs) transport passengers and cargo between distributed vertiports. We first develop a 2D formulation that jointly optimizes discrete headings, velocities, and spectrum allocation to minimize total mission time while satisfying quality of service (QoS) and collision-avoidance constraints, and we demonstrate significant gains over non-learning and learning baselines. Building on this 2D framework, we …

Community College Student Admissions Experiences, Jeremy D. Loy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community college students have always faced barriers to going to college and getting their degrees. Much of the research centers on the completion of their degrees. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of community college students during enrollment. To understand how community college students experience the enrollment process, the study used phenomenology to hear the experiences of students through semistructured interviews. Findings showed that three broad themes emerged from this research. First, students felt both nervous and uncertain about college, but they also recognized the importance of college to improve their lives. Second, students …

Southern / Appalachian Migrants And Urban Development Politics In Uptown Chicago, 1950-1972, Charles Wayne Dowdy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how ideas of interregional migration were used in service of urban renewal agendas in Uptown Chicago from 1950 to 1972. It argues that The South and Appalachia as regional ideas were impactful in postwar midwestern urban development politics, even as regional identity was less powerful as an adhering force for actual migrants in comparison with factors of race and class. Chapter 1 examines the development and use of the urban enclave model of interregional migration by the Uptown Chicago Commission in the late 1950s. It argues that anxieties around suburbanization and urban decline fueled the production of …

Beyond The Surface: Exploring The Experiences Of Black Female Athletes At Power 4 Institutions, Michonné Leatrice Gamble-Rivers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black female athletes, have a long history of fighting for visibility and inclusion. They are celebrated and hyper-visible as performers on the court yet deemed invisible in the institutional decision making that shapes their holistic development and success. This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) challenges this structural problem looking to amplify voices that have been historically silenced by systems that reduce these individuals to mere athletic capital.

Beginning with Manuscript I, this three-manuscript dissertation is built on a conceptual framework anchored in Womanist Theory, Intersectionality, and Athletic Identity, providing the necessary critical lens to investigate challenges like double jeopardy and limiting …

Exploring The Relationship Between Secondary Student Perceptions Of Teacher Involvement And Student Academic Success In Online Social Studies Courses, Thomas Matthew Herrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid growth of online learning in secondary education has highlighted the need to better understand factors that contribute to student success. While considerable research has examined online learning at the postsecondary level and in state-tested subjects, little attention has been given to social studies courses. This qualitative study explored the relationship between secondary students’ perceptions of teacher involvement and their academic success in asynchronous online social studies courses. Participants included 22 students from two accredited high schools in Mississippi, one fully online and one traditional brick-and-mortar school, both of which offered asynchronous social studies courses approved by the state …

Glp-1ra Vs. Sglt-2i: Preventing Kidney Function Deterioration Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes And Chronic Kidney Disease, Liang-Yuan Lin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) may improve kidney outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, direct head-to-head comparisons of their renal effectiveness with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i)—the recommended first-line therapy for older adults with T2DM and chronic kidney disease (CKD)—remain limited.

Objectives: To compare the renal effectiveness of GLP-1RA and SGLT-2i among older adults with T2DM and CKD.

Methods: A new-user, active comparator, matched cohort study was conducted using 5% Medicare data from 2012 to 2020. Older adults (≥65 years) with T2DM and CKD who initiated either a GLP-1RA or an …