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Assessing The Conservation Needs Of Native Texas Crayfish Species Through Distribution Analysis And Species Distribution Modeling, Elizabeth J. Croft

Biology Theses

Crayfish have essential roles in ecosystems because they are ecosystem engineers and keystone species. However, crayfish species are threatened by degradation and loss of habitats, introduction of invasive species, and high levels of endemism. Texas provides no legal protections for crayfish, despite its large number of species and endemics in the state. The overall goal of this study is to clarify the distributions of native Texas crayfish species using literature records, citizens science, and field sampling data, and highlight species in need of more conservation research. Occurrence records from all collected data were combined to visualize the distributions of species …

Prevalence Of Disordered Eating Behaviors In Junior And Senior Human Nutrition And Dietetics Students At The University Of Arkansas, Grace P. Carroum, Mallori Roberts

General Human Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Disordered eating (DE) is a prevalent concern among college students and may be particularly relevant among nutrition and dietetics students due to their academic focus on food, weight, and health. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and frequency of disordered eating behaviors among junior and senior Human Nutrition and Dietetics students at the University of Arkansas using item-level responses from the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short Form (EDE-QS). A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed, and data were collected via an anonymous online survey (n = 11). Descriptive statistics were used to examine the frequency of specific behaviors. Overall, most …

The Effects Of Heat Stress On White Blood Cell Profiles And Antibody Concentrations In Broilers Genetically Selected For Low Water Conversion Ratio Compared To The Modern Random Bred Broiler, Luke B. Janski

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Heat stress (HS) is one of the most significant environmental stressors impacting poultry production worldwide, reducing growth, feed efficiency, welfare, and immune competence. With global temperatures rising, understanding physiological and immunological adaptations to HS is essential for sustainable production. Broiler chickens selectively bred for low water conversion ratio (LWCR) have shown potential for reduced water consumption under environmental challenges; however, their immune resilience under HS conditions compared with modern random-bred (MRB) broilers remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of cyclic HS on red- (RBC) and white- (WBC) blood cells and humoral immunity in LWCR and MRB broilers. Birds were …

Tiktok Usage And Cyberbullying: A Systematic Review Of Existing Studies To Identify Correlations., Emma Willett

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

TikTok has rapidly become a pivotal part of adolescents' lives, and arguably one of the most influential social media platforms by creating unique patterns of communication and interaction. This short-video format platform has a uniquely designed, algorithm-driven “For You Page”, as well as a distinct environment for interaction and comment culture.

With the rise of popularity around TikTok, cyberbullying has also emerged as a significant concern (Guimetti, 2022). This thesis aims to conduct a systematic literature review of existing studies on TikTok usage and cyberbullying to determine whether or not there is a significant positive correlation between the two.

This …

Descriptive Comparative Analysis Of Bacteriophage And Auxiliary Metabolic Gene Diversity In Marine And Wastewater Environments, Andrew Crawford

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria and play a role in bacterial evolution. Through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), phages integrate parts of their genomes into their bacterial hosts. While the molecular mechanisms of this process are well understood, the evolutionary impacts remain less certain. One evolutionary explanation is that auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) modulate host gene expression to favor phage reproduction or improve the host’s survival. AMG can persist in hosts' or phages' genomes across future generations, altering their contributions to the ecosystem and posing a concern for human and environmental health. The objective of this project is to …

Dental Wear In Medieval Hungarian Populations, Sutton Walters

Honors College Theses

Dental wear can reveal past human behavior, offering insight into diet, daily activities and cultural practices (Berbesque et al., 2012; Deter, 2009; Estalrrich & Rosas, 2015; Górka, 2016; Molnar, 2008; Smith, 1984; Watson, 2014). Dental wear can reconstruct past life when other evidence is limited. This paper will address whether dental wear patterns observed in two medieval Hungarian populations, Kiskundorozsma–Kettőshatár I (KK) and SárrétudvariHízóföld (S), reflect sexual dimorphism patterns seen in hunter-gatherer vs. agriculturalist populations. Previous research demonstrates clear differences in wear between high- and lowwear subsistence strategies, whereas other studies report minimal or no sexual dimorphism and little variation …

Depicting Cultural Nuance Through Level Design, Sydney A V Fleming

All Theses

As the audience for gaming grows and expands, gamers consistently crave new stories that are interesting and that immerse them. The ability of gamers to relate to the characters is solely dependent on conscious choices made by developers. For the story to be enjoyable and immersive, It helps to understand the character’s motivation. Why would they act this way? Would they make this choice? Understanding a character culturally is a step in the right direction to gaining this needed understanding. Conveying culture respectfully in games is always a challenge. The goal of this project is to use the Unreal Engine …

Personality Meets Possibility: Exploring Cognitive Engagement For Older Adults In A Changing World, Kalvry A. Cooper

All Theses

Engagement in cognitively stimulating activities (CSAs) is critical for maintaining cognitive health in older adults. While existing research has examined the benefits of CSAs, less is known about how factors such as personality traits, education, and technology proficiency influence engagement, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore older adults' participation in online versus in-person CSAs during the pandemic and identify key predictors of engagement. Using secondary data from the EFIT and ENACT studies, this research investigates how variables like marital status, education, personality traits, and mobile device proficiency shape older adults' decisions to engage in online or …

The Everlasting Bite Of The Colonizer In Contemporary Vampire Narratives, Emily Hatchett

All Theses

In the 1897 novel Dracula, Bram Stoker opens the vampire's coffin, unleashing the monstrous figure meant to terrify and control the inhabitants of late Victorian England. Following the vampire's journey from Transylvania to England, Stoker traces its desire to gain entrance into society through the British country house. Nevertheless, the vampire transforms as it makes its next journey to America. Leaving behind its haunting presence and adopting a loving, romantic personality that has rooted itself in our contemporary literature. It's also through this journey that the vampire is drawn to the lingering effects of colonization and is led to …

Enhanced Situational Awareness Of Solar Pv Plants For Near Real-Time Planning And Operation In Modern Power Systems, Michael A. Walters

All Theses

Solar photovoltaic (PV) plant development and utilization is increasing worldwide but remains intrinsically challenged by its large dependence on highly variable weather conditions and operating states. This paper presents a framework to leverage three new situational awareness indices (SAIs), namely: weather condition index (WCI) to gauge operational performance based on environmental states, operational complexity index (OCI) to indicate the severity of power generation reductions, and photovoltaic generation index (PVGI) to provide a final determination of the impact on power generation and to bolster situational awareness in planning and operational contexts for solar PV plants. This is accomplished by exploiting the …

From Leaders To Lifesavers: The Impact Of Leader Development On Healthcare Teams, Madison B. Washam

All Theses

With annual expenditures on leadership development in healthcare exceeding $166 billion, the effectiveness of leader development interventions in improving healthcare outcomes is crucial. This study examined the impact of leader development on team-level outcomes through the implementation of a program aimed at enhancing leaders’ relationship-oriented leadership skills. Specifically, it explored the effect of leader development opportunities on declarative knowledge of relationship-oriented skills, leader-member exchange (LMX), team psychological safety, and team members’ perceptions of patient safety. The study proposed that leaders equipped with relationship-oriented skills can foster healthier, more collaborative environments. Mediation analyses tested whether increases in declarative knowledge served as …

Keepingness: Stitching Well-Being Through Arts-Based Self-Study As Self-Care For An Art Educator, Betsy Marie Allison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how quilting can function as a reflective and restorative practice for art educators navigating the emotional labor of teaching. Grounded in arts-based self-study and informed by a/r/tography and serendipity methodology, the study examines how hand-stitching and journaling intertwine as embodied forms of inquiry. Through the creation of hand-stitched triangular quilt blocks arranged in a spiral formation and anchored by a central dragonfly motif, the research documents the lived experiences of a public-school art educator working within the complexities of contemporary education. Journal writings stitched onto the muslin backs of each block, alongside processing photographs and material decisions, …

Harness: Hybrid Architecture For Resilience In Networked Engineering System Simulations, Daniel Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development of HARNESS, a unified, domain-agnostic framework for the modeling, optimization, and evaluation of complex systems under conditions of degradation and uncertainty. The research addresses a persistent challenge in systems engineering: the lack of a generalizable, behaviorally grounded approach for quantifying resilience and robustness across diverse domains. HARNESS integrates graph-theoretic dependency modeling, GPU-accelerated evolutionary optimization, and agent-based simulation into a modular architecture that enables both system design and diagnostic analysis. The framework models system interdependencies through user-defined components, parameters, and constraints, allowing architectures to evolve dynamically while maintaining structural validity. A mutation-only genetic algorithm with a …

Inherent Frames Of Mind, Karlena Fletcher

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inherent Frames of Mind is a mixed-media painting series that serves to investigate and celebrate the intersections between the artist and the family, friends, and places that have shaped her. These people and environments are embodied abstractly in the artwork by inanimate objects, flora and fauna, patterns, colors, and materials that are shared between them. It investigates the phenomenon when otherwise peripheral items are transformed into cornerstones of the artist’s history. These items are juxtaposed within hybrid compositions of floating imagery, ready to be scrutinized and cherished. This thesis also outlines the artist’s return to her most inherent ways of …

A Series Of Investigations On The L. Cornutus Host System And Bivesiculid Sp. Cercariae, Briana K. Zaffiro

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Rising global temperatures are likely modulating parasite-host interactions, yet the direction and magnitude of these changes remain uncertain. Rarely are these interactions viewed from both a host and parasite perspective. Using both CT_max, or Critical Thermal Maximum, and Clark-type polarographic oxygen microelectrodes, the physiological metabolic effects are investigated. CT_max is examined in Common Shiners, Luxilis cornutus, and is shown to be modulated by parasitism: uninfected fish had the highest CT_max average of 37.0°C, whereas heavily infected fish had decreased CT_max averaging 35°C. Prior to the parasite metabolic investigation, a suitable medium was determined, as …

Partners In Pilgrimage: Transforming The Journey Of Adolescence By Guiding Teenagers Toward Faithful Lives, Redefining Success, And Cultivating Connection To God, Abigail R. Weaver

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Adolescence is a formative period in which young people seek meaning, identity, and belonging while navigating a complex array of cultural, social, and developmental pressures. In suburban American contexts, these pressures are intensified by competitive academic environments, demanding extracurricular commitments, and pervasive societal expectations that equate worth with achievement. Drawing from my experience as a youth minister in suburban United Methodist churches, this dissertation examines how such forces shape the spiritual and personal development of 15- to 18-year-olds and explores the Church’s role in guiding adolescents through this landscape with wisdom and care.

Grounded in the Christian tradition and informed …

An Energy- And Area- Efficient Two-Stage Latch Comparator Using Common-Mode Reset, Larry Yu

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an energy-and-area-efficient two-stage comparator implemented in TSMC 65 nm CMOS that incorporates a Floating Inverter Amplifier (FIA) followed by a latch using a common-mode reset scheme. The FIA improves input sensitivity and reduces kickback noise by isolating the input nodes from large latch voltage swings. The proposed latch resets its output nodes to a common-mode voltage rather than one of its supply rails, thereby reducing switching energy during the reset phase. The comparator can resolve differential input voltages as small as 2 mV with a clock period of 500 ps, achieving 74.33 μV input-referred noise while consuming …

Softmax Expressiveness With Linear Complexity By Investigating The Linear-Softmax Attention Accuracy Gap, Gabriel Mongaras, Eric Larson

Computer Science and Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Softmax attention Vaswani et al. [2017] Bahdanau et al. [2015] has gained traction as one of the most important parts of most modern machine learning models. Despite being the most adopted modern machine learning algorithm, exploration of softmax attention itself has been neglected. While softmax attention is a very powerful architectural component, it has a major drawback of being quadratic in sequence length. More specifically, softmax attention has quadratic complexity during training and linear complexity (when using a KV cache) during inference, which limits the sequence length it can model due to system memory constraints. Linear attention was proposed, (proposed …

A Comprehensive Sustainability Assessment Of The Unh Wildcat Transit System: Integrating Environmental, Economic, And Social Dimensions, Nicholas Andrew-Jin Eagan

Master's Theses and Capstones

The transportation section remains one of the largest contributors of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions due to private vehicles being the dominant mode of transit. Pushing for increased usage of public transit offers significant potential for decarbonization. This study provides a sustainability assessment of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Wildcat Transit System across environmental, economic, and social dimensions aimed at providing education on low-emission fleet strategies. Life Cycle Analysis LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) were used to measure environmental and economic impacts in the fleet of 30 vehicles operating on compressed natural gas (CNG) and biodiesel B20 fuel. …

Sense Of Belonging And Self-Efficacy Of Women In Stemm At The University Of South Alabama, Emilie Dedeaux

Honors Theses

Despite decades of calls and initiatives to diversify science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) disciplines, females are still more likely to leave STEMM career paths compared to their male peers, which is often depicted as a 'leaky pipeline'. Females in STEMM often report greater social alienation, greater selfdoubt, lower sense of belonging and academic satisfaction due to a mismatch in values in STEMM disciplines. STEMM values have traditionally been normed by cisheteronormative, white, male ideologies . While extensive research has focused on the barriers females experience in STEMM that reduce sense of belonging , less research has focused on …

Targeting The Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation To Improve Depression And Anxiety In Parkinson's Disease, Brock Renicks

Honors Theses

The aim of this study is to observe the outcomes of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This study will primarily look at changes in depression and anxiety, as these symptoms are often comorbid with Parkinson’s Disease. Transcranial direct current stimulation is a non-invasive, very low-intensity form of electrical stimulation of the brain. It is being increasingly used as a form of treatment for Parkinson’s Disease and depression and anxiety, however the literature is ambiguous, showing mixed results throughout various studies, with no standardization of tDCS administration. To determine the effect of tDCS on …

Beyond The Court: Pickleball's Impact On Balance And Gait In Older Adults, Riley Scott Ahrndt, Abby Nicole Bertsch, Emma Florence Boris, Gabrielle Elizabeth Rheay, Isabella Cason Whiston

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Older adults are at a greater risk for falls due to many variables that may include decreased balance, lower extremity strength, slower agility, and impaired gait mechanics. Daily physical activity has been shown to help combat age-related deficits. The popularity of pickleball is growing fast and may provide an option for exercise that incorporates strength, agility, balance, and aerobic effort. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of pickleball on the balance and agility of older adults participating in the National Senior Games organization.

Methods: The modified version of the Senior Athlete Fitness Exam …

Cardiovascular Health Outcomes In Senior Athletes: A Comparative Study Of Pickleball And Other Recreational Sports, Breana Alise Tretter, Lynsay Leilani Benson, John Thomas Polejewski, Jeremiah Sanders Talley

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Pickleball has grown rapidly in popularity among older adults and is often promoted as a beneficial form of exercise for cardiovascular health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether senior athletes who participate in pickleball exhibit significantly better cardiovascular fitness compared to peers participating in other sports at the North Dakota Senior Games.

Methods: The data was collected through the Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE), a multi-component fitness screening conducted by the University of North Dakota’s Physical Therapy Department. The screening included assessments of vital signs, body mass index (BMI), and mobility. Participants voluntarily enrolled …

Compassion In A Warrior Culture: Emotionally Supportive Leadership Among U.S. Military Veterans A Phenomenological Study, Peter Hofmann Phd

Leadership Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study examines how U.S. military veterans with leadership experience describe and make sense of emotionally supportive leadership within the context of a traditionally hierarchical and stoic military culture. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with veterans across service branches, the study explores how participants interpret relational leadership behaviors involving care, responsibility, and responsiveness to others’ suffering, and how these behaviors are shaped, constrained, or legitimized within a warrior-oriented institutional context. Particular attention is given to veterans who self-identify with service-connected conditions, as their experiences illuminate how leadership identity and emotional regulation evolve during and after military service. Participants consistently …

Immersive Visualization Of Cardiac Segmentation And Analysis, Brandon Norman

Theses and Dissertations

Coronary artery disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, making early detection and treatment critical to reducing mortality. While coronary angiography remains the gold standard procedure for diagnosing coronary artery disease, less invasive methods such as coronary computed tomography angiography and virtual fractional flow re-serve continue to improve. However, taking full advantage of volumetric coronary computed tomography angiography data requires extensive post-processing before the data can support geometric modeling, hemodynamic simulation, and analysis. Existing Open-Source Appli-cations provide powerful tools for these tasks, but their interaction models remain largely desktop based, restricting users to 2d manipulation and hindering …

Soil Moisture Regime Effects On Near-Surface Soil Chemical Properties In Alfisols Under Native Tallgrass Prairie In Arkansas, Sydney M. Talley

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Tallgrass prairie ecosystems provide many crucial ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling and storage, organism habitat, and soil and water conservation. However, tallgrass prairies are considered an endangered ecosystem, particularly in the Ozark Highlands and Grand Prairie regions of Arkansas, where less than 0.05% of Arkansas’ original prairie land area remains. Understanding soil nutrient supplies over time in native tallgrass prairie ecosystems is critical for quantifying the success of restoration and rehabilitation activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil moisture regime (SMR) (i.e., aquic and udic), region (i.e., Ozark Highlands and Grand Prairie), and their …

Environmental Enrichment Preferences And Play Behavior In Commercial Turkey Hens, Paul Dang

Poultry Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Commercial turkey production contributes significantly to the U.S. agricultural industry, yet studies on positive welfare indicators, especially play behavior, are limited. This study evaluated turkey hen interactions with two environmental enrichments (straw bales and pecking stones hung from the ceiling) and the expression of play behavior in turkey barns. Three commercial turkey hen barns were equipped with environmental enrichments and time-lapse video cameras. Play behaviors were recorded during transect walks in two barns using 30-second scans of disturbed and undisturbed patches. Regional use of space around enrichments was quantified through region-of-interest (ROI) analysis of time-lapse images collected from days 16-31 …

Purgatory, Kat Mccormick

Bachelor of Fine Arts Theses

Artist Statement:

Purgatory is my exhibition of paintings and sculptures investigating the complex relationships between the self, the psyche, and the process of healing. Living with long-term and recurring mental health issues can breed despondency toward treatment when trial and error lead nowhere. Enduring instability seems no more difficult than endlessly trying to hold onto stability. I represent the stagnancy of this limbo between healing and devolving by painting in limited color. I create contrast through juxtaposing textures such as soft and sharp, and leaning into the differing intensities of phthalo green and tints mimicking raw canvas. Using self-portraiture in …

Transfigure, Madison Gaffney

Bachelor of Fine Arts Theses

Artist Statement:

Maddy Gaffney’s thesis exhibition, Transfigure, examines the passage of time through a mythical lens, exploring how the personification of fate, seasons, and lunar cycles can explain natural occurrences through visual narrative. Working in oil paint, Gaffney personifies elemental natural cycles as living figures, emphasizing the interconnectedness of humans and nature and how these cycles act as catalysts for transformation. Figures appear where they would not normally exist—within landscapes, across skies, and as embodiments of fate. Through large-scale oil paintings, Gaffney constructs immersive compositions that weave together myth, nature, and transformation, presenting time as a living, shifting force. Layered …

Side Of The Road, Jacob Van Langeveld

Bachelor of Fine Arts Theses

Artist Statement:

“Side of the Road” is a body of work about the local area and the places and objects I’m drawn to while driving. I aim to form a connection with Upstate New York, repurposing the elements that shape my visual and emotional experience into paintings that, in turn, mark moments in my life—similar to journal entries. These mostly medium-sized paintings are rooted in plein air practice. I drive, find an interesting subject, pull over, set up my gear, and begin working. In some cases, instead of painting on-site, I take a photograph and bring it back to the …