Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Solvent Vapor Annealing On Organic Semiconductor Materials, Nicholas Cox

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Death And The Uncanny: Freud, Grief, And The Horror Of Inevitability In Ari Aster’S Hereditary And Midsommar, Courtney Michelle Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis explores how Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019) create ongoing discomfort among viewers through their shared focus on death and the tensions between fate and freewill.

Using Freud’s concept of the uncanny as a lens, this thesis argues that these films are disturbing because they introduce familiar horrors in a newly unsetting way, forcing audience members to confront deep rooted fears of grief, loss, and the lack of control.

By repeatedly forcing his audience and characters to confront death and the illusion of agency, Aster successfully creates the prolonged anxiety and dread felt by many viewers of …

Patriots And Protestant Dissenters: Early Religious Disestablishment In Revolutionary South Carolina, Nathan James Shull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

In 1778, the newly independent government of South Carolina broke with more than a century of precedent and disestablished the Church of England by enacting Article XXXVIII of its State Constitution. This thesis weaves together the interconnected stories of Patriots such as William Tennent, Christopher Gadsden, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Oliver Hart, Richard Furman, and William Henry Drayton, demonstrating how they converged on disestablishment. While the historiography has focused on one or another religious or political group, this thesis asserts that an array of South Carolinians from across the political spectrum coalesced around disestablishment as a pragmatic solution to a variety …

The Road To Senior Leadership: Senior-Level Administrative Women Leaders In Division I Intercollegiate Athletic Departments, Susan E. Richard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This qualitative narrative study examined the career pathways and lived leadership experiences of women serving in senior-level administrative roles within Division I intercollegiate athletics, a traditionally male-dominated industry. Guided by a crucible leadership framework, the study explored how formative experiences shaped participants’ leadership development, professional advancement, and persistence. Nine women who currently or previously served as senior-level administrative leaders participated in the study. Data were collected using an adapted version of Seidman’s three-interview series, supplemented by document analysis and a demographic survey to support triangulation. Interviews were organized into three phases to chronologically capture participants’ career trajectories.

The findings are …

Impact Of Living Shorelines On Coastal Morphology And Sedimentology, Sydney Garber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Living shorelines, or nature-based solutions, have emerged as a preferred approach to coastal restoration, but have not been well studied or monitored postimplementation. This project evaluated the efficacy of living shorelines in protecting and stabilizing coastal morphology in Palm Beach County’s Lake Worth Lagoon. The study assessed surface and subsurface sedimentology, short-term water-level variability, and morphological change at two living shoreline areas of Jewell Steinhardt Cove and Snook Islands Natural Area. Each shoreline area has different breakwater designs aimed at stabilizing the shoreline with recruitment of oysters and mangroves in the Lake Worth Lagoon. Overall, seasonal morphology and sediment data …

Saltfish And Seedcake: Examining Fantasy Through Food Studies, Isabella Martins-Simonsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Although mundane and often overlooked in reality, in fantasy, food, like all other things, is entirely symbolic. Therefore, considering food closely when analyzing a fantasy text offers unique insights into the world being developed, the characters within that world, and the author’s own understanding of both the real and “secondary” world. In this paper, I consider the foods of Earthsea, Narnia, and Middle Earth to offer various perspectives on the worldbuilding and examine the implications of different foods in these well-known settings. For example, the tea served in Narnia creates a fantasy world that is more normal than the strange …

Building Connections For Care: A Practical Guide For Novice Nursing Professional Development Practitioners, Debra Hunt

Student Dissertations

Building Connections for Care is a practical textbook designed to support novice Nursing Professional Development Practitioners (NPDPs) as they transition from expert bedside clinicians to educational leaders within complex healthcare systems. Grounded in the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) practice model, the book integrates ethical foundations, communication strategies, leadership frameworks, and inquiry methods to build confidence and competence in the NPDP role. Chapters trace a developmental pathway from role transition and Benner’s novice-to-expert model through ethics and just culture, incivility and workplace culture, and communication skills including feedback, SMART goals, SBAR, and professional digital conduct. Subsequent chapters expand NPDP …

A Proposal To Examine Naturally Occurring Mindfulness And Correctional Officer Stress And Burnout, Anthony M. Nasrallah

Undergraduate Theses

Correctional officers (COs) work in institutions characterized by high interpersonal demand, safety risk, and organizational complexity; as a result, they experience elevated rates of occupational stress, burnout, and mental-health disorders relative to the general workforce. At the same time, research in allied helping professions demonstrates that mindfulness and related contemplative practices can reduce stress and improve emotion regulation and well-being. However, little is known about whether COs’ own, pre-existing informal mindfulness practices are associated with lower on-the-job stress or burnout rather than formal training courses. This review integrates findings from qualitative studies, quantitative analyses, and systematic reviews to show what …

Education To Improving Prediabetes Management And Preventing Progression To Diabetes In The Primary Care Setting, Irene Mah Mebune

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prediabetes is a significant public health concern in the United States, as many individuals remain undiagnosed or inadequately managed, which increases the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes and associated complications. Primary care settings are essential for early identification and prevention. However, gaps in staff knowledge and inconsistent application of evidence-based guidelines frequently hinder effective management. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) staff education project aimed to enhance healthcare staff knowledge and confidence in screening for and managing prediabetes within a primary care clinic. The central question guiding this project was whether evidence-based staff education could improve healthcare staff …

Process Evaluation Of The Cheers Automated A1c Follow-Up Reminder System In Primary Care, Heather E. Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations & Projects

Background: Missed diabetes follow-up contributes to suboptimal glycemic control in primary care. Health record embedded reminder systems may improve continuity of care, but process evaluation is needed to understand real-world implementation (Bugge, 2024; Rathod et al., 2024).

Objective: To evaluate fidelity, workflow processes, and reach of the Cheers automated A1c reminder program among adults with type 2 diabetes in primary care.

Methods: This retrospective process evaluation used EHR data guided by the CDC Program Evaluation Framework (CDC, 2024). Measures included reminder delivery, follow-up completion, fidelity, and contextual factors.

Results: Of 72 eligible patients, 26 met success criteria (36.1%); 92.0% completed …

Biophysical Insights Into A Cryptic, Hydrophobic Binding Site On Pcna, Alexis Dispensa

Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are dynamic molecules whose functional landscapes extend beyond static structural representations. Transient cryptic pockets (buried cavities that emerge through protein motion) represent underexplored targets for allosteric regulation and drug discovery. General anesthetics are small, lipophilic, weakly polar molecules that are well suited to partition into such hydrophobic sites. In this work, environment-sensitive fluorescence, photoaffinity labeling, mass spectrometry, mutational analysis, and microsecond molecular dynamics simulations were integrated to discover and characterize a cryptic, highly apolar binding site within the hydrophobic core of human proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a central scaffold in DNA replication and repair. Using the solvatochromic fluorescent …

The Role Of Pten Subcellular Localization In Neuronal Development And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nicole Desmet

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are genetically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions that nevertheless converge on altered neuronal connectivity and circuit function. A central unresolved problem in the field is how diverse genetic perturbations, acting at different biological levels and developmental stages, give rise to shared neurodevelopmental outcomes. This dissertation addresses this problem by examining how gene function, subcellular signaling, and developmental context interact to shape neuronal morphology and circuit-relevant phenotypes.

Cell-autonomous mechanisms regulating neuronal morphology are examined through the ASD risk gene Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) in developing dentate gyrus granule neurons. Selective biasing of PTEN to defined intracellular compartments in …

Family Processes As A Protective Factor Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Adolescent Delinquency, Tessa Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores whether family processes (i.e., parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring) serve as protective factors between the relationship of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent delinquency. Prior research has established an association between ACEs and many negative life outcomes, including delinquent behavior, while strong parental attachment and parental discipline/monitoring are linked to lower rates of delinquency. However, the interplay of these three factors has been understudied. Drawing on data from the 2024 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) (N=22,016), this study examines the relationship between ACEs, family processes, and delinquency using negative binomial regression models. Results indicate that parental …

Development Of An Experimental Platform For Hydrogen-Propelled Cold Spray, Michael James Katz

Theses and Dissertations

Cold spray (CS) has gained recent interest as an additive manufacturing process. This process uses high pressure propellant gas to accelerate solid-state powder particles through a specialized nozzle, beyond which the powder deposits onto a substrate as a dense coating and without either material undergoing a phase change. Both nitrogen (N2) and helium (He) are commonly used as CS propellants, with He generally yielding superior results at otherwise similar processing conditions. However, performance advantages of He come with a significant drawback: He is a limited resource that may be sensitive to geopolitical conflicts and, in recent history, has been subject …

The Role Of Avoidance In The Relationship Between The Impact Of Childhood Trauma And Physiological Responsivity To Fear And Reward In Adulthood, Tristan Alana Benjamin

Dissertations (1934 -)

Childhood trauma is prevalent and has been associated with deleterious physical and psychological outcomes that persist into adulthood. Extensive research on the neurobiological consequences of experiencing trauma has demonstrated an association between experiencing a traumatic event and elevated physiological arousal in response to fearful stimuli compared to healthy controls. By contrast, emerging research has found that adults who experienced a traumatic event during childhood demonstrate blunted physiological arousal responses. The physiological profile associated with childhood trauma may be related to coping strategies utilized; notably, children may be more likely to engage in avoidance to cope with the impact of trauma …

Testing A New Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument For Pediatric Nursing, Elizabeth Anne Flasch

Dissertations (1934 -)

A descriptive multi-site correlational study design was used to test a modified instrument to determine its ability to assess students consistently across settings using a group of prelicensure pediatric students enrolled in two different pediatric clinical environments. Two participant groups were intentionally recruited including clinical instructors teaching in pediatric clinical environments and their corresponding students practicing in pediatric simulation and traditional clinical environments. Inter-rater reliability of the instrument was achieved. Prelicensure nursing students were deemed competent in the care of children across settings. No statistically significant correlations were found between environments. There was a relationship between student perception of confidence …

Convergent Rna Pathophysiology In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Hunter Lee Patterson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the connection between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis and RNA biology via two mechanisms: microRNA regulation of gene expression in the spinal cord and modulation of TDP-43 pathology through synthetic oligonucleotides. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that leads to progressive weakness. However, despite this shared clinical pattern the known causes of ALS are extremely varied. Only about 10% of ALS cases are familial while the other 90% occur sporadically. Even among that small fraction of familial cases, researchers have identified dozens …

Growing Healthy Habits: Impacts Of A Youth Community Garden For Children In Rural Mississippi, Olivia G. Degravelle

Honors Theses

This study examines the implementation and outcomes of a Youth Garden Program conducted in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Funded by the Allstate Community Service Project Grant, the Youth Garden was constructed within the previously established Pontotoc Community Garden. The initiative comprised four weekly workshops designed for participants ranging from preschool to adolescence. Each session incorporated hands-on fruit and vegetable (FV) planting or harvesting, an educational lesson, and a complementary craft activity. Children’s FV consumption patterns, nutritional knowledge, and attitudes toward FV were assessed through pre- and post-program surveys. In addition, the photo-elicitation interview method invited participants to take digital photographs of garden …

Emotional Awareness And Resilience In Adolescents, Emilie Zimmerman

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Adolescent trauma exposure is prevalent and associated with a range of negative developmental outcomes. However, some youth demonstrate resilience. Emotional awareness, a foundational component of emotion regulation, may play a role in promoting adaptive functioning following adversity, though its contribution to resilience in trauma-exposed adolescents remains unclear. The present study examined whether emotional awareness is associated with multiple domains of resilience including prosocial behavior, self-efficacy to handle conflict, perceived resilience, and emotional and conduct problems, after accounting for trauma exposure. Participants were 36 adolescents enrolled in a support program for at-risk youth. Data were obtained from youth-report measures of trauma …

The Right-To-Work Debate In Louisiana: How A Moment Of Violence Changed Law, Emma K. Thigpen

LSU Master's Theses

These two projects focus on the rise of business communities in twentieth century politics of the South and how they shaped national visions of the United States’ economic future. Chapter 1, a primary source project about how labor violence led to a Right-to-Work law, examines the actions of the La. AFL-CIO, led by Victor Bussie, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, led by Edward Steimel, as they pursue alternate visions of economic progress and the “American way.” A major theme of this chapter is how violence was manipulated and refashioned to legitimize a lobbying organization and legislation intended …

Public Understanding Of Ai-Enabled Cyber Threats And Its Impact On Cybersecurity Governance In The United States, Charlotte M. Barbrick

LSU Master's Theses

Artificial intelligence is spreading quickly in workplaces and everyday life, and that fast growth is creating cybersecurity and privacy risks that current laws and organizational practices do not fully address. This thesis asks whether AI-specific knowledge shapes public support for cybersecurity governance of AI-enabled systems in the United States. Using nationally representative survey data from the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP) Wave 119, fielded December 12--18, 2022, I estimate weighted regression models to test how objective AI knowledge shapes support for cybersecurity governance. I also test whether concern about data misuse helps explain that relationship and whether AI …

Master Of Social Work Faculties Integration Of Gender And Sexuality Diverse Content: A Cross-Sectional, Quantitative Study, Lynn Mazur

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Master of social work (MSW) students may be entering into field practice without meeting the necessary competencies for practice to address the needs of the gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) population. The literature supports that GSD content may be absent from course content. This cross-sectional design study aimed to understand what factors influence MSW faculty to incorporate GSD content into their coursework. MSW faculty at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE, 2022) accredited programs were invited via email to complete an online, anonymous, and voluntary survey. The results suggested strong support for the integration of GSD content into the coursework, …

Beyond Social Media: Effective Innovative Strategies For Small Cleaning Services To Engage Decision-Makers And Secure Contracts, Danielle Edwesa Gaskins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small cleaning service businesses often encounter challenges when attempting to reach decision-makers and obtain commercial contracts. Small cleaning service business leaders are concerned with securing contracts because the continual acquisition of agreements underpins both business stability and growth. Grounded in the service-dominant logic, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies small cleaning business leaders use to engage decision-makers and win contracts without relying on the use of social media marketing. The participants were five leaders from small cleaning businesses in the United States who had successfully secured contracts through alternative engagement strategies. Data were gathered using …

Mapping Serial Killer Life Pathways With Behavior Sequence Analysis, Morgann Lynn Brafford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to influence criminal behavior in adulthood, their potential influence on serial killer actions has not been scrutinized. This study was an investigation of how ACEs might affect serial killer actions later in life. The trauma-control model provided a conceptual framework for the investigation. Marono et al.’s research featuring behavior sequence analysis (BSA) was broadened to examine the impact of psychological abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, violence against animals, head injury, and bullying serial killer behaviors like stalking or sexual assault. The participants were 364 anonymized male serial killers from the Radford/Florida Gulf Coast …

Evaluating Sand Characteristics And Their Influence On Sea Turtle Nest Incubation Conditions, Thomas Naylor

Honors Theses

The embryonic development of sea turtles is strongly influenced by the environmental factors experienced during incubation within the nest. These environmental factors can influence hatchling sex ratios, body condition, and their success emerging from nests. Adult female sea turtles lay nests across a range of sites throughout the nesting season, resulting in each nest encountering unique abiotic conditions. This study aims to identify how variation in sand characteristics, such as grain size proportions, permeability, and color, influences nest temperature and subsequent hatchling outcomes of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) and Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) from …

Understanding The Alternative Normative Concepts, Dewitt W. Spiller

Theses

Matti Eklund's challenge to normative realism in Choosing Normative Concepts (2017) turns on the possibility of "alternative normative concepts"—concepts that play the same normative role as ours but have different extensions. Eklund argues that the ardent realist cannot express what he calls “the further question” about which concepts to use without either trivializing the answer or changing the subject. I argue that this challenge rests on an unstated assumption about how normative concepts are differentiated. I call this the Fragility Assumption. What I seek to show is that this assumption is not obligatory; there are live views of normative concepts …

Dimensionless Ratios And Processes Controlling Volumetric Bioretention Performance, Andrew Charles Hiestand

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Urbanization of previously natural land cover has spurred the innovation and implementation of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to combat increased surface runoff due to impermeable areas and a changing climate. Bioretention has been a popular choice in design due to its small footprint and proven effectiveness in retaining stormwater runoff and limiting discharges to receiving surface waters. However, their event-to-event performance variability is difficult to explain due to a number of confounding and interacting influences that distort cross-site analyses including inter-event drying and antecedent soil moisture conditions, geometric size and media properties, and event magnitude. This study applies and evaluates …

Cybersecurity Integration In Research Stage Connected Devices Within Healthcare Environments, Klemens Koszarek

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The rapid growth of connected devices in healthcare environments has significantly expanded the cybersecurity threat landscape, extending the potential risks beyond traditional hospital networks. Regulatory guidance from the FDA and risk management frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) provide an approach for managing cybersecurity risk in connected systems. However, these principles are not always applied during early stages of device development. As a result, security consideration may be deferred until later stages of development, allowing for vulnerabilities to persist in systems as they move toward clinical or commercial deployment. This study presents a structured method for integrating …

The Influence Of The Timing Of Definitive Restoration Placement After Root Canal Completion: A 22-Year Retrospective Study, Shikha Gupta

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Objective: To evaluate how the time interval between root canal obturation and the placement of a definitive restoration impacts the incidence of tooth failure, defined as non-surgical retreatment, apical surgery, or extraction. Methods: This 22-year-retrospective cohort study utilized electronic health records from the Marquette University School of Dentistry (MUSoD) axiUm database, analyzing 11,002 teeth treated between 2004 and 2026. Inclusion criteria required patients to be at least 18 years of age, categorized as established patients of record, with all non-surgical root canal treatments (NSRCT) meeting the 2020 AAE quality standards. The interval between obturation and restoration was categorized into seven …

Hidinet-T: A Transformer Modeling For High-Dimensional Survival Analysis, Aashish Dhanani

Computer Science Honors Theses

No abstract provided.