Digital Commons Network^™

The Differences Between Corrections, Police, And The Military: An Academic Exploration And Internship Experience., Tatiana Jackson

Theses & ETDs

This senior project combines academic research with field experience as an intern at a correctional facility in South Florida. It examines the roles of corrections, policing, and the military and how each contributes to maintaining safety and order within society. Although all three systems share the common goal of protecting the public, they carry out that responsibility in different ways. Police officers focus on maintaining order and responding to incidents within communities, the military is responsible for defending the nation from external threats, and correctional systems manage individuals involved in the criminal justice process while also emphasizing supervision, structure, and …

Synthetic Approaches Towards Bn2tcma For The Modeling Of Oxalate-Degrading Enzymes, Olivier Servius

Theses & ETDs

Oxalate is a naturally occurring compound that can be toxic to humans at high concentrations as humans lack the oxalate degrading enzymes found in plants, fungi and bacteria. Key enzymes involved in oxalate metabolism are oxalate oxidase and oxalate decarboxylase, both of which are manganese based metalloenzymes. Due to limited research, much is unknown regarding their mechanism of action ,with multiple proposals reported, but no unified consensus. Synthetic model complexes are commonly used to probe the function of metalloenzymes by replicating structural and electronic features in simplified systems. In biomimicry, 1,4,7,-triazacyclononane (TACN) has attracted attention for its N3O donor set …

Discerning If Triops Have Personality, Gwen Therrien

Theses & ETDs

Triops, or tadpole shrimp, are small, freshwater invertebrates. They are the apex predator of their habitat, temporary pools of freshwater. They eat plant matter, worms, mosquito larvae and their own eggs. Their eggs go through anhydrobiosis; meaning they can survive without water for extended periods of time. There have been no previous studies specifically on Triops’ personality. Thus this raises the question if individuals demonstrate different personalities from each other. Boldness trials were conducted on 13 specimens that were on a diet of herbivore pellets and carrots. Each set of trials were repeated 1-11 times depending on how long the …

Bernoulli’S Principle And Newton’S Third Law: The Correlation To Aviation And Impact On Flight, Camilo Renteria

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

The Invisible Hand: Narrating Wildlife Through Hybrid Scoring, Weiyi Li

Composition/Recording Projects

This paper explores the creative and theoretical processes involved in composing the original score and sound design for "Ningxia Yellow River: The Home for the Avian," a wildlife documentary centered on the Ningxia wetlands in China. The research addresses the challenge of creating a "sonic bridge" between silent natural imagery and a human audience by balancing documentary realism with musical persuasion. The methodology utilizes a hybrid scoring approach that integrates Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) orchestration with organic sound elements, guided by three core pillars: cultural semiotics, acoustic ecology, and technical synchronization. By applying traditional Chinese pentatonic modes alongside Western orchestral …

The Implications Of A Competitive Athletic Season For Lower Limb Musculoskeletal Health, Benjamin Walker

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the implications of a competitive athletic season on lower limb musculoskeletal health in collegiate athletes. Through an organized narrative literature review, this study synthesizes biomechanical, epidemiology, and clinical research to evaluate how cumulative seasonal loading influences joint, bone, tendon, and soft tissue. Findings that indicated lower extremity injuries account for the majority of sport-related musculoskeletal conditions, with overuse injuries being a dominant role due to inadequate recovery and repetitive mechanical stress. Key evidence shows that rapid increases in training load, distinctly during preseason periods, significantly raises injury risk by surpassing tissue adaptive capacity. In addition, subclinical changes …

Transferring To The Workplace From The Game: How Transferable Athletic Skills, Workplace Adaptation And Mental Health Intersect, Maria Luiza Barreis De Araujo

Theses & ETDs

The shift from collegiate athletics to working life is a significant growth challenge that could affect mental health and professional adaptation. The current study investigated the connections between mental health, workplace adaptation and transferable athletics skills. It also explored whether workplace adaptation mediates the relationship between transferable skills and well-being. An Online survey measuring transferable skills, workplace adjustment and mental health was completed by 181 current and past collegiate student-athletes. The findings showed that workplace adaptation was positively associated with mental health and that transferable skills were significantly correlated with workplace adaptation. The relationship between transferable skills and mental health …

Seeing Double: Exploring Film And Theater As Storytelling Mediums, Breanna Circe

Theses & ETDs

This thesis paper sets out to address the questions: Is it possible to express the same story across both mediums? If the medium changes, will the understanding of the story also change? The two storytelling mediums of choice are theater and film. First, I take a look at the historical relationship between theater and film, then, I compare and contrast the theories and processes each medium uses to produce a play or movie. Second, I conduct an experiment where I personally attempt to adapt a scene from a play into a short film, and a scene from a film into …

Emotion Regulation And Pretend Play In Preschool-Aged Children, Alyssa Dolphin

Theses & ETDs

The current study included only well-established, high-fidelity Montessori programs to explore differences in children’s emotion regulation levels across varying preschool contexts (Montessori, traditional, and at-home/no preschool), the relationship between time spent in a Montessori program and emotion regulation, and the potential moderating role of preschool environment in the relationship between pretend play and emotion regulation. Seven parents of children enrolled in a Montessori program, seven parents of children enrolled in a traditional preschool program, and 21 parents of children not currently enrolled in preschool completed an online survey consisting of an emotion regulation scale, a pretend play scale, and demographic …

D.R Horton And The Florida Housing Market: An Industry Analysis Of Growth, Competitive Dynamics And Policy Within The Tampa Bay And Sarasota Area, Francisco Rafael Canquiz Fermin

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the Tampa Bay and Sarasota housing market through the lens of D.R. Horton, the nation's largest homebuilder, to understand how structural constraints, competitive dynamics, and economic forces shape industry outcomes. Between 2020 and 2025, the Tampa MSA absorbed more than 250,000 net domestic migrants while single-family permits increased only 32%, creating an imbalance between surging demand and constrained supply that has driven home prices to record levels (U.S. Census Bureau; Tampa Bay Economic Development Council). The analysis proceeds in two parts. Part I provides a comprehensive industry analysis, defining market boundaries, mapping the value chain, evaluating market …

The Heart Of Care: Perceptions And Management Of Pediatric Cancer Across Cultures, Kit Lamison

Theses & ETDs

The current study aimed to determine the interaction between cultural background, perceptions of illness, and family management in Chinese American and White American caregivers of children diagnosed with cancer. The current study was conducted to gain knowledge on how families from different backgrounds respond to the devastating experience of having a child diagnosed with cancer. To achieve this goal, participants were recruited through online communities focused on pediatric cancer and traditional Chinese medicine. A 135-item online survey containing the revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (Moss-Morris et al., 2002) and the Family Management Measure (Knafl et al., 2011) was distributed to participants …

Exploring Sarasota’S Local Theatre And Its Historical Structure, Cayla Schimmel

Theses & ETDs

This thesis argues that Asolo Repertory Theatre may not be the only single foundation for other existing and future theaters in Sarasota to exist but serves as a central model due to its unique historical layer, institutional structure, and lasting artistic influence which have helped modern day theaters like Urbanite Theatre to exist in a coexistent city. What originally began as a comparative project focused on identifying the differences between Asolo’s multiple performance venues, including its expansive proscenium Mertz Theatre and Urbanite’s concentrated black box space, led to a shift in perspective. It became an exploration of meaningful relationships that …

Unamuno, Agon, And Communication: Outlines Of A Quixotic Philosophy, Christopher Rodriguez Cristobal

Theses & ETDs

The purpose of the present thesis is to comment on the philosophy of Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo as presented in The Tragic Sense of Life in Men and Peoples, and to propose a possible line for its systematization focusing on the themes of selfhood and communication. I endeavor to do so, on the one hand, by contrasting the articulation of certain lines of thought in the text to their appearance in other of the author’s major works such as Agony of Christianity and Life on Don Quixote & Sancho; and, on the other hand, elaborating on some of the …

Frozen In Motion: A Study Of Theatrical And Figure Skating Show Conventions, Makayla Hunter

Theses & ETDs

This thesis dives into the different worlds of theatrical and figure skating show conventions. Chapter 1 gives a brief history of figure skating as a sport, along with how it functions, and how it developed into show skating. Chapter 2 then discusses the multiple variations of Disney’s Frozen using the theories of Nelson Goodman and Catherine Elgin to showcase how the different genres comprise separate symbolic and artistic worlds. Chapter 3 is my practical interpretation of the theory translating the choreography of ‘All That Jazz’ from the musical Chicago from ensemble to solo and from stage to ice. This thesis …

How Elements Including Location, Time Of Day, And Narrative Structure Influence Audience Engagement And Emotional Connection Within Short Form Video Content, Ashleighe Gibson

Communications and Digital Media Theses

This study examines how TikTok-based digital storytelling communicates urban walking experiences in New York City, focusing on how content strategies influence audience engagement and emotional connection. While both walking and short-form video storytelling have been widely studied, their intersection in shaping perceptions of urban environments remains underexplored. Using a mixed-methods approach, a TikTok account was created to document walking experiences, with content systematically varied by key factors including narrative structure, posting frequency, and environmental context. Engagement metrics, including views, likes, comments, and shares were analyzed alongside qualitative reflections to identify patterns in audience engagement and response. Findings indicate that engagement …

Infrastructures Of Control: The Prc Party-State And The Diffusion Of Surveillance Technology To The Global South, Lincoln Bartelt

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This investigation examines the relationship between Chinese surveillance technology exports and the rise of digital authoritarianism in Ecuador and Zimbabwe from 2007 to 2024. Using a mixed-methods correlational case study design, it constructs a five-dimensional Surveillance Export Intensity Index (SEII) from United Nations Comtrade data under HS codes 8525 and 8517 and compares it against ten indicators of digital repression drawn from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) dataset. Qualitative analysis from Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, and primary source documents provides depth and mechanism to the quantitative findings.

Results indicate that spikes in Chinese surveillance exports correlate most strongly with …

Ego Boost: Recreating The First Stage Of Blue Lock’S Second Selection As A 3d Game In Unity, Izzy Carlson

Theses & ETDs

Upon the completion of a successful animated adaptation, it is common for popular manga series to also receive video game adaptations; however, it is just as common for these games to be far removed from fan expectation. Blue Lock is a dichotomy to this phenomenon, possessing a game adaptation that is generally well received by fans. Nevertheless, the expectation of a game adapted from a football manga would be a game where the player is directly involved in matches; yet in the adaptation, they are merely simulated. The primary objective of the game developed in this thesis, Ego Boost, was …

Market Structure And Strategic Conduct In The U.S. Life Insurance Sector, Kaja Szuba

Theses & ETDs

This thesis applies the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) model to conduct an industry analysis of the United States life insurance sector, integrating foundational economic theory to explain observed market behavior. The U.S. Life Insurance Industry exhibits oligopolistic characteristics, high regulatory barriers to entry, moderate product differentiation, and disciplined pricing behavior. Market share data is drawn from NAIC reports, supplemented by surveys conducted through LIMRA, and company-level financial data. The analysis examines seven key areas: the definition of the industry, the structure of the industry, the conduct of firms within the industry, the performance of the industry, the linkage of SCP constructs to …

Designing Enhanced Nonlinearity In Plasmonic Devices With Epsilon-Near-Zero Films, Kevin Tran Le

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS) Theses

The growing demand for energy-efficient optical information processing motivates compact nonlinear photonic devices that can operate at low power. Silicon photonics is a mature platform for linear optical functions, but nonlinear operation remains challenging because of its weak Kerr response, two-photon absorption at telecommunication wavelengths, and limited compatibility with deeply subwavelength plasmonic confinement. This thesis computationally investigates epsilon-near-zero thin films integrated into plasmonic waveguide architectures as a route toward stronger light–matter interaction in compact nonlinear devices.

Two waveguide geometries are examined: a hybrid metal-insulator-metal plasmonic slab waveguide incorporating an ultrathin indium tin oxide epsilon-near-zero layer (5–50 nm), and a dielectric-loaded …

"Fracturing The Space Of The Real": Deriving A Korean Queer Theory From The Shamanic Feminist Poetics Of Kim Hyesoon, Amber Lee

English (MA) Theses

This thesis derives a Korean queer theory from the shamanic feminist poetics of Kim Hyesoon, arguing that her theorization of Korean indigenous spirituality [musok] and the shaman song "Abandoned Princess Baridegi" constitutes a counter-epistemological framework capable of articulating queer possibility outside the ideological constraints of Western critical discourse. Drawing on the three essays of Princess Abandoned, translated by Don Mee Choi, I read Kim's work through a methodology of resignification (Judith Butler) and disidentification (José Esteban Muñoz) to argue that her agentive resignification of femininity and yin theorizes a disidentificatory performance-space [hyonbin] where queer Korean subjects enact worldmaking and …

Effects Of Nicotine On Muscle Stem Cell Growth And Differentiation, Annaka M. Clark

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nicotine exposure has significantly increased due to the rising use of e-cigarettes, posing potential health risks not only to users but also to animals exposed to nicotine vapor. While nicotine has been extensively studied for its effects on human health, its impact on animal muscle cells remains largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate the effects of nicotine on muscle cell cultures, specifically focusing on morphological changes, gene expression, and differentiation. Using C₂C₁₂ myoblasts as a model system, the experiment evaluated how varying concentrations of nicotine influence muscle stem cell growth and regeneration. Findings show that lower …

Unmasking Barriers: A Critical Examination Of Systemic Challenges Facing Bipoc Pre-Service Teachers, Nia V. Fratrik

Education Doctorate Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Objective Optimization Framework For Equitable Stormwater Management In Urbanizing Rural Communities, Harry L. Wilson

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Due to limited technical and financial resources, urbanizing rural communities often face growing stormwater management challenges while undergoing rapid development. This thesis proposes a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) framework that integrates topography-driven stormwater flow behavior, infrastructure placement constraints, and multiple planning objectives to support cost-effective stormwater infrastructure decisions. Our model accounts for budget constraints, gravity-driven surface water flow, infiltration capacity, and spatial contiguity requirements to determine optimal pond placements that balance flood reduction and implementation costs. A synthetic discretized grid representing a small municipality is used to demonstrate model behavior under varying rainfall and topographic conditions. Results demonstrate the framework's …

Investigating The Effects Of Stress On The Passive Transfer Of Antibodies From Colostrum To The Newborn Calf, Audrey F. Dykes

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of the current study was to examine passive transfer of immunoglobulins A (IgA) and G (IgG) to the calf in relation to dam’s fecal cortisol and lactoferrin. In July 2024, late-gestation, Angus crossbred heifers pregnant by artificial insemination (n = 30) were moved to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Stocker Unit and housed in 0.42-ha grass paddocks for each heifer. Calving began in mid-August. Heifers were observed routinely throughout the workday and then at 8 p.m., 12 a.m., and 6 a.m. After calving, the calf was allowed to stand and suckle once then dam sample collection …

The Impacts Of High Protein Diet On Sleep And Mood In Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Pcos), Lily G. Hiegel

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The objective of this study is to determine whether adherence to a high protein diet over a sixteen-week period leads to improvements in sleep quality and mood in women with PCOS. It is hypothesized that individuals following the high protein diet will demonstrate significantly better sleep quality and more favorable mood profiles compared to individuals not following the high protein diet. By targeting insulin resistance and dietary carbohydrate intake, this intervention may influence multiple pathways involved in PCOS symptomatology, including hormonal regulation, metabolic function, sleep physiology, and psychological wellbeing.

The Association Of Birth Order And Coping Strategies In Children During Family Stress; A Case Study On A Second-Born Child, Jaymee Bass

Theses & ETDs

This study examined the association between birth order and coping strategies in children, with a particular focus on primary and secondary control coping during family stress. Drawing on theoretical models of coping that distinguish between efforts to change external stressors (primary control) and efforts to adapt internal responses (secondary control), the study explored whether children’s roles within the family may help predict their preferred coping mechanisms. Prior research suggests that personality traits, sibling dynamics, and family structure influence both emotional development and coping processes, indicating that birth order may be a meaningful factor in how children respond to stress. Participants …

Oil Prices And Exchange Rate Dynamics: An Analysis Of The Colombian Peso Against The U.S. Dollar., Tomas Gonzalez

Theses & ETDs

This thesis analyzes exchange rate movements between the Colombian Peso (COP) and the US Dollar (USD), focusing on the role of international oil prices and other variables such as inflation and interest rates. Given that Colombia's economy relies heavily on the export of raw materials, it is expected that fluctuations in oil prices will be reflected in the dynamics of the exchange rate. The analysis also incorporates the theories of Uncovered Interest Parity (UIP) and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). For this analysis, monthly data spanning the period from 2014 to 2026 will be utilized, employing an econometric approach that includes …

Scenic Design: Adapting Psychological Horror From Film To The Stage, Natalie Welch

Theses & ETDs

This thesis has the goal of creating a scenic model for a new theatrical adaptation of an already existing psychological horror film. To help achieve this, it discusses psychological horror and how sets can create the desired effects of the genre. The thesis is split into two chapters. The first chapter is research-based and goes into psychological horror in both film and theatre. The mediums are looked at individually and then compared through the play and film versions of The Innocents and The Woman in Black. At the end of this chapter, I go into more detail about the practical …

Gendered Socialization Of Comfort With Risk And The Selection Of A College Major, Eliza S. Staton

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the potential relationship between the gendered socialization of risk preferences and the selection of a college major. Women are underrepresented in many fields of study, but especially in those related to science, technology, engineering, and math (S.T.E.M). Careers in STEM fields tend to require degree paths that require difficult classes, with lower average grade points, and a high chance of failure. As of 2023, only 24% of the student body in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas was composed of women (Uark 2023). These high-pressure, male-dominated environments have been found to lose women at …

Sustaining Care In The Nonprofit Sector: A Qualitative Study On Burnout, Secondary Trauma, And Compassion Fatigue, Anna Kate Kelly, Alexia Angton Phd

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Given the high emotional toll of nonprofit work, burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue are prevalent among employees. This study examines how these phenomena manifest in individuals' everyday lives. Drawing on in-depth interviews with eleven nonprofit workers in the South-Central United States, the findings reveal three primary themes: the consequences of emotional labor, frustration with the system, and supportive strategies. Overall, participants described a tension between finding deep purpose and meaning in their work and experiencing an emotional burden that shapes how they engage with the world. These findings have implications for mental health care, organizational practices, advocacy and policy, …