Digital Commons Network^™

Overcoming Glioblastoma Resistance To Temozolomide With New Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, And Mechanistic Studies, Hualin Zhang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor with rapid progression and poor prognosis. Although temozolomide (TMZ) remains a central component of standard therapy, its clinical benefit is limited and resistance frequently emerges through DNA repair pathways, particularly O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). Because DNA cross-links are generally more difficult to repair than monoalkylated lesions, we hypothesized that TMZ derivatives bearing protein-reactive functionality might generate damage that is less susceptible to MGMT-mediated resistance. Guided by this rationale, we designed a new class of N3-modified TMZ derivatives containing covalent warheads, developed a synthetic route compatible with the chemical instability of the TMZ scaffold, …

The Role Of Service-Learning & Critical Pedagogy In Student Empowerment Through Self-Consciousness, Democratic, And Culturally Responsive Education, Shahbaa Zaidan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological research examines the role of service learning that is based on critical pedagogy in empowering students and developing identity and consciousness in a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) on the United States-Mexico border found in South Texas. This study challenges the top-down paradigm, in which empowerment and learning are considered in view of the practices of educators, their teaching methods, and their impacts on student achievement. The research is bottom-up and student-centered. This research explores how students' experiences during service-learning courses shape their sense of identity, voice, and empowerment. Key theories include critical pedagogy (Freire), experiential learning (Dewey), transformative …

Unveiling The Longitudinal Dynamics Of Discrimination, Identity, And Mental Health Over Time Within U.S. Muslims Among On-Going Palestine Genocide, Manal Aboargob

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Discrimination is a pervasive stressor that shapes mental health through both direct experiences and indirect, or vicarious, exposure. In contemporary contexts marked by global media saturation, individuals may repeatedly witness discrimination and violence directed toward their social group, amplifying psychological burden. The present longitudinal study examined how direct and vicarious discrimination were associated with affective well-being among U.S. Muslims during the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and whether religious identity and religious coping moderated these associations over time. Participants (N = 103) completed a baseline survey and up to 11 weekly surveys over a three-month period. Multilevel mixed-effects growth models were …

Riemannian Manifold-Coupled Joint Sparse Graphical Models For Spatially Structured Precision Matrix Estimation, Abdul Rahman Adam

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis introduces a novel geometry-aware framework for joint precision matrix estimation in spatially structured data. Unlike existing joint Gaussian graphical model estimators that rely on Euclidean coupling mechanisms such as fused or group graphical lasso, our approach incorporates intrinsic Riemannian geometry through geodesic distance penalties on the symmetric positive definite manifold.

The method measures similarity between precision matrices of adjacent spatial regions using the affine-invariant Riemannian distance, capturing deformations of concentration ellipsoids rather than entrywise differences. This is particularly suited for spatial transcriptomics, where regions may share dependence structures despite differences in scale or composition.

An efficient Alternating Direction …

Adjunct Faculty Onboarding Experiences At A Hispanic-Serving Community College In The U.S.-Mexico Border Region: Faculty Perspectives Of Integration And Effectiveness, Melissa Ann Aguilera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Since the 1970s, adjunct faculty have become the majority of higher education instructors, yet institutional onboarding practices for adjuncts remain inadequate and are inconsistently studied. Using a basic interpretive qualitative approach, the study explored how adjunct faculty at a Hispanic-serving community college in the U.S.-Mexico border region experienced and perceived their onboarding process. Four adjunct faculty members participated in semi-structured interviews, and data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings were interpreted through the Kirkpatrick Model of Training Evaluation and Organizational Socialization Theory. Three themes emerged from the data: the absence of structured onboarding, leaving participants to independently seek institutional knowledge, …

Environmental Movements In El Paso And Ciudad Juarez: Possibilities And Limitations Of Cross-Border Organization At The U.S.-Mexico Border, Vanessa Maria Almada

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

At the U.S.-Mexico border, the anthropogenic and nationalistic construction of the landscape has accelerated urbanization and unequal development without establishing effective binational institutions for governance over a shared commons. Borderlanders, then, contest unsustainable development with the added complexity of navigating a barrier which creates diverse socioeconomic and political realities that challenge cross-border cooperation. This qualitative research analyzes environmental organizations in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. Through ethnographic study of mobilization in response to environmental legislation and administrative action in each city, the immediate barriers to cross-border cooperation and limitations of nationalistic institutions in the borderlands can be better understood.

Characterization Of The Antiviral Activity Of Mouse Schlafen Proteins, Wendy Paola Alvarez Leal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this work was to characterize the anti-viral role of mouse Schlafen8 and Schlafen9. Expression of these proteins is induced by type I interferon in response to viral infections. Importantly, their human functional orthologs exhibit anti-viral functions, and the structural element required for these activities are conserved in Schlafen8 and Schlafen9. Therefore, it is expected that these proteins will also impair viral replication. An important limitation in this field is that the anti-viral function of human SLFNs has been evidenced only in in vitro cellular models. No informative mutations have been described in human populations so far. Thus, …

A Systems Engineering-Based Method For Enabling Digital Transformation In A Binational Small Healthcare Enterprise, Manuel Adrian Alvarez Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The year 2020, often described as "the great accelerator" for emerging technologies, marked a period of significant transformation in lifestyles, work patterns, and business strategies. For instance, online meetings have become more convenient than in-person interactions, even with colleagues in neighboring offices. For small businesses, rapid regulatory and technological changes required swift adaptation, including the acquisition of new technologies, tools, and software to ensure survival. This transition also necessitated adopting indirect engagement, revising communication protocols, and digitally transforming information. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in essential service sectors face also a fundamental paradox: their dependence on the skills, relationships, and …

Language Attitudes In El Paso: Investigating Language Loyalty, Public Perception, And The Impact Of English-Only Policies, Dalton S. Ascone

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Language attitude studies have been a vital aspect of Sociolinguistics research along the U.S.-Mexico border, with significant contributions having been made by Hugo Mejias and his colleagues in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (1986; 2003) and Hidalgo (1986) in Ciudad Juarez. However, there has been a lack of updated language attitude research in the region in recent decades, particularly in the city of El Paso, which, up to now, has not been the subject of a general language attitude survey. The present project seeks to investigate the language attitudes of bilingual Spanish-speakers living in the El Paso region through the …

Unlearning Patriarchy And Reframing Gender Politics: Challenging White Feminist Identity And Men's Negotiated Resistance Toward Social Justice, Laura Erickson Alvarado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines gender politics and the unlearning of patriarchy in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, centering lived experiences of Latinas and Black women while critically engaging men's roles in both reproducing and challenging gender inequality. Grounded in Critical Pedagogy, intersectionality, Critical Race Theory (CRT)/LatCrit, and whiteness studies, the research employs a mixed-methods design, including metadata analysis, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and critical discourse analysis. Intersectionality serves as the analytical framework, highlighting how patriarchy, white supremacy, predatory capitalism, race, class, and geopolitics intersect to shape differentiated experiences of marginalization and agency. Critical consciousness is conceptualized as the capacity to link lived experiences …

What Are You Doing In My Classroom? -- Elementary Teacher Perspectives Of Instructional Coaches, Maria Erika Avalos-Fernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative study uses a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore elementary teachers' perspectives as they work with instructional coaches on their campuses. The primary purpose of the study is to examine teachers' perspectives and gain insight into how these interactions influence their professional practice. Participants included elementary teachers from a single campus in El Paso, Texas, all of whom have had experience working and collaborating with instructional coaches. The constructivist grounded theory provides a lens for examining participating teachers' lived experiences. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Convenience sampling was used, allowing flexibility in selecting participants for the …

Exhumation Of The Pelona-Orocopia-Rand Schist And Fault Kinematic Constraints On Evolution Of The Eastern California Shear Zone, James Boyette Barker

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Southeastern California has experienced a complex recent geologic history as it continues to evolve from a convergent boundary to a period of NE-directed extension and evolution of the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ). This transition is recorded in exhumed bodies of Pelona-Orocopia-Rand (POR) schist and in changing styles of fault deformation. This thesis has two interrelated goals. First, I aim to refine the timing of transition from NE extension to NS contraction in the ECSZ of southeastern California by integrating (U-Th)/He thermochronology with field-based structural analysis. The second prong of this study is to constrain broader patterns of POR schist …

Bayesian Deep Learning For Photovoltaic Power Forecasting: A Probabilistic Framework For Uncertainty Quantification And Grid Reliability Optimization, Pablo Abraham Bustamante

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the urgent need to decarbonize power systems, enhance energy security, and meet growing electricity demands. Solar photovoltaic (PV) power has emerged as a critical component of future energy infrastructure due to its abundance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. However, PV generation is inherently variable and weather-dependent, introducing significant uncertainty into grid operations and complicating the task of balancing supply and demand. Accurate forecasting of PV power generation-particularly on day-ahead and hour-ahead horizons-has become a strategic necessity for grid stability, economic efficiency, and environmental sustainability. PV output is influenced by numerous factors, …

From Infiltration Pathways To Aquifer Recharge: An Electrical Resistivity And Vadose-Zone Isotope Study In Pecan Agroforestry Systems, Jose Josue Cabral

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Groundwater in arid or semi-arid regions is critical for agricultural production, yet the contribution of irrigation return flow to regional aquifer recharge remains poorly constrained. As is the case beneath flood-irrigated pecan orchards in the Rio Grande floodplain of Far West Texas. This study integrates time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) with stable water isotopes (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) in vadose-zone soil-pore water to evaluate how irrigation water infiltrates. This study tracks how irrigation return is stored and may contribute to recharge of the Hueco Bolson aquifer. The objectives are to (1) relate observed resistivity variations to stratigraphic heterogeneity influencing infiltration, (2) characterize …

Bridging Industry And Academia In Engineering Leadership Education: Using Q Methodology To Identify The Viewpoints Of Engineering Professionals On Effective Engineering Leadership, Pamela Edith Campos Valles

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Engineering leadership has been recognized as a key professional skill by the U.S National Academy of Engineering, leading to increased attention and integration in engineering education research and development. The perception and recognition of leadership within the engineering field remains limited by the widespread definitions of leadership and limited characterization of engineering leaders. The Contextual Engineering Leadership Development framework is grounded on a discipline specific definition of engineering leadership and approaches to leadership development derived from engineering undergraduate programs. The use of this framework provides the opportunity to describe what engineering leaders prioritize, enabling the identification and characterization of …

Exploring Connectivity And Element Distribution In The Critical Zone Using Deep Cores Below Agricultural And Natural Drylands In The American Southwest, Angie Lynette Cano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water movement controls how solutes are transported and stored in arid Critical Zone (CZ) systems. In natural drylands, low precipitation and high evapotranspiration lead to long term salt accumulation in the CZ, whereas irrigation increases water input and increases downward solute transport. This study investigates how agricultural practices alter subsurface hydrology and geochemistry by comparing two deep CZ cores from the southwestern United States: a 50 m deep core beneath a flood irrigated pecan farm named 5R farm, in the Rio Grande Valley in Tornillo, Texas, and a 97.5 m deep core from the Red Lake Playa in the Jornada …

Detecting Early Physiological Signs Of Work-Related Muscle Strain And Fatigue Using Quantitative Sensory Testing, Omar Alberto Cano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are a major source of occupational disability and economic burden worldwide. Early detection of physiological strain remains challenging since traditional methods often rely on self-reported pain or diagnosis after symptom development. Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) may provide an objective, non-invasive method for identifying early sensory changes associated with repetitive upper-extremity loading. Purpose: This pilot study examined the responsiveness of Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) and Thermal Threshold Testing (TTT) for detecting Acute muscular strain and fatigue following repetitive manual task performance. Methods: A within-subject counterbalanced design was conducted with sixteen healthy participants. Each participant completed both …

Timing And Synchronization: Software And Hardware Approaches For Precision Maximizing, Christina Alicia Alejandra Carreon Jimenez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis explores the design of synchronization mechanisms that allow multiple FPGA boards to operate as if they were a single coherent timing domain. The solutions span three layers: a software PLL for E1 telecommunication links, a PCIe-based timestamp exchange protocol, and a hardware-level multi-FPGA mesh architecture. Across these layers, the work demonstrates that practical, low-cost synchronization can achieve sub-microsecond accuracy without the burden of specialized hardware such as GPSDOs or White Rabbit infrastructure. Experiments show stable alignment within the nanosecond-microsecond range, validating the feasibility of the proposed methods for SDR and telecom applications.

Querida Ana, Lorena Castillo Berrones

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Querida Ana es una novela epistolar de carácter híbrido que narra la relación entre dos amigas separadas, primero por fronteras geográficas y después por la enfermedad. La historia inicia cuando Carlina emigra a Houston, Texas, para reunirse con su familia, mientras Ana Lucía permanece en San Luis Potosí, México. A través de cartas, postales y mensajes, la obra construye un espacio íntimo donde las protagonistas conversan, crean y sostienen su amistad pese a la distancia. La escritura se convierte en el puente que articula la narración y permite explorar temas como la migración, la frontera, la memoria, la enfermedad y …

Whirlpoole: A Creative Thesis And Analysis Of Creating Fiction From Real Life Experiences, Holly Marie Cesario

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

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‘Enemy Communist Cocksuckers’: Conceptualizing Patriotic Masculinity In Threats To Election Officials, Alma Harrison

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on political violence demonstrates how certain aspects of masculinity are linked to asserting ideological authority and reinforcing exclusionary social identities through physical aggression, such as assaults, homicides, and gender-based violence. However, little research analyzes the use of violent threats as masculinity performances to achieve these same ends. To address this gap, this study analyzes messages from qualitative interviews with 26 election officials who experienced violent threats, examining performances of a distinct form of masculinity – patriotic masculinity – which fuses hegemonic masculine norms with patriotic values. Findings reveal ways in which actors construct and perform patriotic masculinity to frame …

Religious Extremism & Courtroom Cooperation: Examining Variability In Terrorism And Religiosity, Amanda P. Hux

Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Honors Theses

While prior studies have investigated the impact of religion on terrorism, our study specifically aims to inform the literature of religious affiliation's effect on a defendant's propensity to plead guilty. Our study uses data from the American Terrorism Studies (ATS) database from the University of Arkansas’s Terrorism Research Center. The study focuses on twelve variables in relation to pleading guilty, gender, categories of terrorism, race, and ethnicity. Crosstabulation and Binary Logistic Regression were used to analyze the subset “Offender” within the ATS. Three hypotheses were reviewed, finding that religious affiliation has a positive correlation with a defendant’s propensity to plead …

"Forward Together, Not One Step Back": Southern Women, Joy, And The Revitalization Of A Movement, Katelyn Holly Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to illuminate the ways that working women across the Southern United States organize labor within their communities both in and outside of the traditional union space. Due to the repressive nature of labor policy across the Southern US, this study focuses on how both unions and non-union organizations in the South generate feelings of collective identity and sustain solidarity. This study explores one central question: How do women in unions and worker-organizations in the South build solidarity and sustain collective action under restrictive labor conditions. Early findings reveal that working women in the South navigate multiple barriers …

The Intersection Of Occupational Therapy And Optometry In The Treatment Of Visual Impairments: Addressing An Unmet Need, Grace Bannon

Capstone Projects

The prevalence of visual impairments in the United States is substantial and anticipated to increase in severity over the coming decades. These impairments have wide-reaching consequences on an individual’s occupational performance in daily living. While both occupational therapists and optometrists focus on the relationship between visual function and engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupations across the lifespan, only a limited number of optometrists offer specialized vision therapy services. This gap emphasizes a growing demand for vision services to manage the needs of individuals with visual deficits. Therefore, this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) sought to bridge this gap by exploring the …

Identifying The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Suicide Prevention, Grey Buchheit

Capstone Projects

Occupational therapists are uniquely positioned to identify and support individuals experiencing suicidal ideation; however, suicide prevention education remains limited within occupational therapy curricula despite its relevance across diverse practice settings. This doctoral capstone experience sought to address this educational gap by developing evidence-based suicide prevention resources for Western Michigan University's Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program while promoting student wellness and burnout prevention as complementary components of suicide prevention. Guided by a literature review, SWOT analysis, faculty interviews, and a needs assessment that included a survey of Level I fieldwork educators, this project identified opportunities to strengthen occupational therapy education related …

Supporting Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice For Young Adults: Resource Development For A Level I Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Clinic, Grace Campbell

Capstone Projects

Neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based practices are a growing area of focus within occupational therapy, viewing neurological differences as natural variations of human diversity rather than deficits to be corrected. This Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) focused on applying these perspectives within the Work-to-Work Clinic, a Level I occupational therapy fieldwork clinic that serves young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability. Commonly-used assessments and treatment materials at the clinic were outdated, deficit-focused, and poorly suited to this population’s developmental stage, leaving many clients with unmet needs. Additionally, Level I fieldwork students are still developing clinical reasoning skills and …

Pictured And Framed: A Media Analysis Of Local News Coverage Of The Unhoused In Fayetteville, Sabine Skoch

School of Social Work Undergraduate Honors Theses

Amid a growing housing crisis in Fayetteville, local media serves as an influential force in shaping public understanding of homelessness. This study examines how homelessness is framed in local news coverage through a reflexive thematic analysis of ten randomly selected articles published between May 2022 and November 2025. Guided by media framing and attribution theory, this analysis explores how causes, consequences, and solutions to homelessness are constructed within a rapidly growing Southern city.

Three central themes emerged. First, local reporting centers empathy through lived experiences and community testimonies, emphasizing dignity, vulnerability, and structural precarity rather than individual failure. Second, coverage …

Exploring Servingness Through Pedagogy: A Critical Case Study Of An Hispanic Serving Institution, Yemin Sánchez

Theses and Dissertations

This critical ethnographic case study advances current understandings of what it means to teach at an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and how faculty enact servingness within an HSI enrolling high indices of Latin@/Hispanic students. Drawing on decolonial, culturally sustaining and liberatory pedagogical frameworks, this study interrogates how constructs such as Hispanic, Latin@/Latinx, or coloniality shape the pedagogical conditions under which faculty operate. Using pláticas with ten faculty members, this research study demonstrates servingness is not a technique or an institutional designation, instead, it is a fluid and deeply humanizing ecology with five mutually reinforcing dimensions: Servingness as Relational Praxis, Servingness …

Climate Vulnerability In Context: Interpretations Of Risk And Reality In Maine And New Hampshire, Sophie Hope Goodwin

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study examines the relationship between place-based climate vulnerability and belief in anthropogenic climate change in Maine and New Hampshire. While exposure-based models suggest that direct experience with environmental hazards should increase climate belief, sociological research emphasizes the role of political ideology and social context in shaping attitudes. Using county-level measures from the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index combined with individual survey data from the Pine Tree State Poll and Granite State Poll, this study evaluates whether multidimensional climate vulnerability is associated with belief that climate change is happening now and is primarily caused by human activities. Results from three-step logistic …

Support Leads To Success: Exploring Culturally Responsive And Relevant Education For Tertiary Level Students Of Color, Aisha Milaham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Culturally responsive and relevant education (CRRE) teaching practice are crucial to implement at the tertiary level to support post-graduate preparation for students from marginalized communities. This case study explores the impact, or lack thereof, of these teaching principles in a higher education program specifically created to support diverse populations of students in preparing for graduate level studies and professions in academia. Data were collected via one-on-one interviews with students and staff in the program. Data were then analyzed to explore the extent to which culturally CRRE principles were integrated into TP and how that integration impacted student preparation for academia. …