Digital Commons Network^™

A Mother And Son Are Reunited After 18 Years, Comice Johnson

Capstones

Alfonso Xicali López saw his mother for the first time in almost two decades. He is participating in a program called Raíces de Puebla, which means Roots of Puebla in Spanish. The program pays for tourist visas and plane tickets for the relatives of undocumented Mexican immigrants who haven’t seen their family members in a decade or more. The government of Alfonso’s home state, Puebla, funds the program. They aim to maintain family connections and reward immigrants who are active members of their communities.

https://medium.com/@comicejohnson/today-alfonso-xicali-lópez-will-see-his-mom-for-the-first-time-in-18-years-1fc6c27caaa

Biased, Janessa M. Andiorio Ms.

Capstones

BIASED is a journalistic podcast focused on intertwining journalistic reporting with opinion to explore the bad behaviors and entitled attitudes that comes with athletic status and how it develops. By talking with coaches, current and former athletes and sport sociology exports this project explores how athletes view themselves as well as how society enables certain sport culture.

https://jandiorio194.wixsite.com/biased

Is American Retail At A Historic Tipping Point?, Violetta Torres-Baron

Capstones

There’s a transformation happening in the American economy as consumers increasingly buy things online and e-commerce approaches 10% of all US retail sales with Amazon leading the way. Now, nearly everyone knows that Amazon is one of the hottest stocks on Wall Street right now given its impressive gains year after year. With its technological sophistication and ability to know it’s customers in ways never seen before, many retailers fear the “death by Amazon” as the company moves into different sectors and diversifies its product offerings – but is this is a bonafide fear for the retail sector? The big-box …

Transgressed Bodies, Estephani Cano Martinez

Capstones

In 2005, desperate to feminize her figure, Paola Gil, a 43-year-old trans woman from Guatemala, decided to get silicone injections in her hips for $1,000. Two hours after the illegal procedure, she started vomiting and defecating blood. She ended up in a coma in the hospital for a month.

The medical record shows that Paola received a silicone injection mixed with mineral and castor oil. She still suffers serious consequences, including difficulty walking, kidney and liver failure, and depression, after seeing her body disfigured.

Because of discrimination, lack of economic resources, and misinformation, many trans women like Paola see liquid …

Kinder Carnage, Talib Visram

Capstones

In the wake of school shootings, including Parkland, states and school districts have scrambled to protect against threats. But faced with no federal focus on gun control and little funding, schools have to make tough safety choices. Some have adopted novelty security gadgets; others have discussed arming teachers and even giving children tools to defend themselves. To some, this is the ideal solution; the answer to violence is more violence. And so, some schools are starting to resemble military camps. With reporting from a security conference in Florida, and a military camp for kids in Kentucky, this story takes a …

Renouncing The Universal Museum’S Imperial Past: A Call To Return The Rosetta Stone Through Collaborative Museology, Anna Volante

Master's Projects and Capstones

In colonial times, Western empires used orientalism to justify and perpetuate colonialism and imperialism over countries that they believed inferior to their own. These imperial powers plundered cultural heritage artifacts from the nations they oppressed and took these objects back to their national museums to be displayed as trophies of subjugation. The ownership of cultural heritage remains a point of contention throughout the field of museum studies. Despite cries for repatriation, these artifacts continue to be housed in universal museums today. One of the most well-known cases is that of the Rosetta Stone, stripped from the city of Rashid, Egypt …

"Improving Nursing Communication Outcomes Through The Tell-Us Card", Jillian Cule, Jeffrey Salao, Nina Park, Laura Le, Brittney Pilker, Maricarmen Reyes

Master's Projects and Capstones

Nursing communication plays a pivotal role in patient-centered care. However, statistics have shown that failures in communication exist in more than 20% of all hospital settings (Sethi & Rani, 2017). Within the explored microsystem, a gap in patient communication was identified through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. Reports revealed that the microsystem was performing at 69%, which is 11% below the national average for nursing communication (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS], 2018). After performing a microsystem assessment, there was a measurable communication opportunity between the patients and nurses. It was determined that …

Guardians Of Virtue, Tamsen Maloy, Tasia Jensen

Capstones

Guardians of Virtue is a short documentary following Tamsen Maloy as she explores how the church of her upbringing--the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon church)--handles sexual assault. It is quickly revealed that the church does not have adequate resources for sexual assault survivors. On the contrary, the culture and system of the church enables assault and encourages survivors to feel they are to blame.

Link to capstone: https://tantproductions.wordpress.com/

Jason Jones Se Propone Acabar Con La Ley De SodomíA En El Caribe, Maite Hernandez, Isvett Verde

Capstones

Este proyecto ofrece una mirada a la situación de inseguridad para la comunidad LGBT en los países pertenecientes al Commonwealth británica en el Caribe y lo que supone desafiar las leyes para esta comunidad.

What Can We Learn From Rapper And Provocateur, Azealia Banks?, Robert A.R. Dozier

Capstones

Rapper Azealia Banks' name is synonymous with controversy, known for her feuds with celebrities and internet personalities. And her reputation has certainly impacted her career. But the trajectory of Banks' life in the public eye speaks to a larger issue of the treatment of "difficult" women in the music industry. http://robardzr.net/capstone/

A Discourse Analysis Of Diversity And Inclusion Terminology In The High-Tech Industry, Michelle Nader

Master's Theses

The field of Diversity and Inclusion is a growing interest within the High-Tech industry, particularly within the San Francisco Bay Area of California. To combat misconceptions of Diversity and Inclusion, this thesis aims to define and analyze the language used at 20 companies in the High-Tech sector. The trends, nuances, and practices of how companies use language in their programming and data dictates the direction of the company. This thesis investigates the underlying complexities of where Diversity and Inclusion is within the industry today and goals for the future. Findings from this research suggest that companies can strengthen their Diversity …

From La Costa Chica To Pasadena: Transnational Racial Politics Of Afro-Mexicans, Antonio Rodriguez-Santiago

Master's Theses

The ethnographic research in this thesis focuses on one group of Afro-Mexicans who migrated to Pasadena, California, from Mexico’s Costa Chica, on the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca and Guerrero, the area where a social movement for Afro-Mexican recognition and collective rights was founded in 1997. This study, using a framework of racial theory, examines the process of racial formation in a transnational setting, which has made this group different in many ways from the Black residents who remain in the Costa Chica. The study also considers how mestizaje, the Mexican national racial ideology that endorses a mixed-race society while …

Electropolymerization Of Polyaniline In The Presence Of Ferricyanide: Electrochemical, Spectroscopic And Gravimetric Studies, Lucas Marinelli

Master's Theses

In this work, ferricyanide-doped polyaniline (PANI) is electropolymerized by constant current and cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements with simultaneous monitoring of mass changes using electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (eQCM). Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and CV measurements confirm the incorporation of the ferricyanide into the film and indicate modified electrical conductivity. UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy confirm the conducting ‘emeraldine-salt’ state and confirm the presence of polarons, i.e. charge carriers.

The addition of ferricyanide during electropolymerization of the PANI film results in an increase of polymerization rate as confirmed using eQCM. A decrease in counter ion ingress/egress and an …

The Integration Of Syrian Refugees In Turkey Via Education, Aysenur Hacioglu

Master's Theses

The Syrian conflict, which was initiated as a pro-democratic movement against Bashar Assad’s government, has displaced millions of people both internally and externally. Since the beginning of the conflict, 6.6 million people are internally displaced, while 5.6 million people seek refuge in other countries. Many Syrians scattered to neighboring countries, principally Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Turkey, who shares the longest borderline with Syria, hosts 63 percent of the total number of Syrian refugees, currently at more than 3.5 million (UNHCR, 2018b). However, Turkey as the country with the highest number of refugees in the world does not legally …

Inside The Virtual Ambazonia: Separatism, Hate Speech , Disinformation And Diaspora In The Cameroonian Anglophone Crisis, Sombaye Eyango Jules Roger

Master's Theses

This study examines the dynamics of the anglophone separatist claims in Cameroon, the so-called “Anglophone Crisis”. I focus on explaining why the separatist claims reemerged in 2016 after being shut down for about 20 years. It explains how the Anglophone separatist revendications have sustained over time despite the extremely centralized power of the Paul Biya government.This paper first argues that the Anglophone Crisis is more than an identity struggle between Anglophone/Francophone Cameroonians, but rather a conflict about historical and institutional grievances, political competition, and regional politics involving the neighboring state of Nigeria.

Second, it verifies the hypothesis that the sustainability …

The Media Representation And Misrepresentation Of Refugees: A Comparison Between Us And French Media, Ali Al-Thani

Master's Theses

This project is the study of the differences and similarities between news reporting, using specific media frames, in the US and France in regard to the representation of refugees in newspapers. I gathered a total of 213 articles written during the period of January 1, 2017 until September 30, 2018. Those articles were taken from two major newspapers in the US, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and two major newspapers in France, Le Monde and Le Figaro. For this research, I used content analysis in order to analyze the news articles reporting on the subject of …

An Exploratory Study Of Acculturation Experiences Of Graduate Student Immigrants At The University Of San Francisco, Courtney Lamar

Master's Theses

This study explores the shared challenges during the acculturation process of graduate student immigrants pursuing higher education in the United States. 13 graduate student immigrants at the University of San Francisco discuss their experiences of cultural adjustment into U.S. culture. Through qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, this study seeks to understand the acculturation experiences of graduate student immigrants in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. This analysis is based on the individual-level experience examining attitudes and acculturation strategies in the dominant society. Analysis, possibly policy implication for institutions of higher education, and possible directions for future research …

It Could Never Last: Why British Sovereignty And Its Influence Since 1945 Resulted In Brexit, Jeffrey Brandt

Master's Theses

The EU Referendum of June 2016 marked a watershed moment for the United Kingdom, as it sought to once again reassert its sovereignty and retake its place in the world as an independent state, free from European Union infringement. The British are usually seen as the cussid ones in Europe, stubbornly holding on to their principles and traditions of sovereignty. But why is that? Carefully tracing UK history, particularly from the end of the Second World War to the present day, it becomes understandable why the result of the 2016 referendum should not be quite a surprise. Studying events in …

Colombia's Veneer Of Aid: Hidden Motives, Voiceless Victims, And The Us Trafficking In Persons Report, Michael Middleton

Master's Theses

This study analyzes the Trafficking in Persons report, an annual report from the United States State Department that ranks each country on its ability to meet “minimum standards” for combating human trafficking. Using Colombia as a case study, this paper heavily critiques the traditional human trafficking discourse by applying a transnational intersectional feminist framework to explore the context and development of human trafficking in Colombia. I will first look at the legal framework for anti-trafficking policy in Colombia with a policy analysis of the laws and legislation that arose after the ratification of the Palermo Protocol in 2000. The strengths …

Understanding The Attitude In Israel Towards The Application Of The Right Of Return For Palestinian Refugees, Wafaa Abuzayda

Master's Theses

The Palestinian refugee crisis is considered one of the oldest, largest, and most complicated refugee issues in the world. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced as a result of the 1948 and 1967 wars between Israel and the Arab states. Before fleeing their homes, Palestinians were persecuted and intimidated by the Israeli army in 1947 and 1948, causing people to flee to different neighboring geographical areas such as the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The UNRWA, a UN-associated entity, was established and began operations on May 1, 1950 to support relief efforts benefiting the estimated …

Transcriptome-Wide Analysis Of Vsv Strains With Varying Ability To Block Nf-Κb, Thomas M. Russell

Theses

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a negative sense, single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus that is currently studied for its uses as a vaccine viral vector and its potential in oncolytic therapy. The M protein of VSV is the active participant in the virus’s abrogation of the host innate immune response. This activity is thought to be due to the M protein’s ability to downregulate overall host transcription by blocking nuclear transport. A VSV mutant containing a D52G mutation in the M protein (22-20) has been shown to block nuclear transport while being defective as a suppressor of NF-κB activation. It is …

A Method For Use Phase Definition As Integrated Into An Object-Oriented Approach To Life Cycle Assessment, Alissa Marie Santucci

Theses

As global environmental concerns increase, industries continue to respond prominently to meeting sustainable practice standards through technological innovations and new business models. However, current sustainability measurement tools, including Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), do not provide practitioners with sufficiently standardized methodology, which leads to uncertainty and limited comparability of results. This research develops a systematic Object-Oriented LCA method to define and quantify the consumed life of a product system during the use scenario under analysis. In this method, the Cumulative Damage Function (CDF) quantifies the consumed life of a product by using inputs of total efficiency or damage, scaling parameters and …

Game Preparation Concludes On Day Four At The Camellia Bowl, Georgia Southern University

Athletics: News & Publications

• Game Preparation Concludes on Day Four at the Camellia Bowl

The Effect Of Bacterial Supplementation On Black Soldier Fly Larval Growth And Development, Emilia Marjatta Kooienga

Theses and Dissertations

With a growing human population, food insecurity is becoming a worldwide problem. As the search for sustainable sources of protein continues, black soldier fly larvae come to the forefront as a partial solution. Full of proteins and fats, the larvae will consume most organic matter and rapidly develop into a usable form. Supplementing black soldier fly larvae with oleaginous microbes Arthrobacter AK19 and Rhodococcus rhodochrous increases their body size by 25%, potentially accelerates their development by one day, and increases their conversion efficiency. Supplementing with Bifidobacterium breve decreased body size, slowed development, and decreased conversion efficiency, underscoring the importance of …

Quantifying Pre-Industrial To Mid-Late 20th Century Anthropogenic Lead, Mercury And Cadmium Pollution In Caribbean Marine Environments Using Skeletonized Sea Turtle Remains, Felicia L. Pena

Theses and Dissertations

Various lines of evidence indicate that levels of anthropogenic pollutants, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, have increased in terrestrial and atmospheric environments since the early 19th century and the advent of industrialization. While the exposure to these three trace elements is a global concern, this study focused primarily on marine environments located throughout the Caribbean. Using ICP-MS, this study aimed to detect and quantify anthropogenic pollutants, specifically lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd), using skeletonized remains of sea turtles as biological proxies for environmental quality. Archaeologically derived (n=5) and mid-late 20th century (n=6) Hawksbill and Green turtles were …

Nostalgia And Forestalgia: Testing Construal Level Theory In Regard To Past-Focused And Future-Focused Marketing Appeals, Robert Wixel Barnwell

Theses and Dissertations

Marketing appeals often capitalize upon nostalgia. By highlighting periods of the past, practitioners hope to elicit positive associations in the minds of consumers between the past and desired responses, from purchases to donations to political support. Though less often, marketing appeals also draw upon the future as a way of making the featured good or service more appealing to potential consumers. Could these different temporal distances into the future or into the past impact the reaction of consumers? Could the context of a product being either hedonic or utilitarian have an influence on the outcome of these past or future …

Organic And Inorganic Contaminants Removal From Water With Engineered Biochar, Narada Bombuwala Dewage

Theses and Dissertations

Water pollution represents one of the major concerns of the modern world, after scientific and industrial development that generates hazardous organic and inorganic contaminants. Biochar (BC) has gained tremendous attention in the past decade as a cheap and efficient adsorbent for organic and inorganic contaminants from aqueous solutions. BC is considered to be a low-cost alternative to activated carbon, however, BC typically suffer performance reductions due to their low surface areas and poor mechanical properties. The main objective of this work is to develop novel biochar materials by modifying the biochar surface for the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants …

Polyploidy Hybrids From Wide Crosses Between Hordeum Vulgare And H. Bulbosum For Improving Salinity Tolerance Using Embryo Rescue, Abdullah Hassn Mohammed

Theses and Dissertations

Salinity is a critical challenge facing productivity of crops around the world, causing major reduction in growth, yield, and quality. It is necessary to produce varieties with the ability to tolerate salinity. However, the lack of genetic variation among H. vulgare genotypes prevents progress in developing salt tolerant varieties. H. bulbosum is a source of tolerance to stress conditions. Consequently, five accessions of domestic barley and six of wild barley were used in this study. Accessions were screened for salinity tolerance. Genotypes 7, 9, and 10 germinated at 2% NaCl. Lines of H. vulgare showed reduction of root and shoot …

Who Does It Best? Towards Understanding Virtual Accountability Practices In Public, Nonprofit And Private Organizations, Asya Besova Cooley

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to comparatively review virtual accountability practices in public, private and nonprofit organizations, using the hospital industry as a case of analysis. Through the quantitative assessment of organizational websites, this study provides empirical evidence that there are statistically significant differences in how organizations conduct their virtual accountability practices. Nonprofits are leading the way in their overall virtual accountability practices. They are more likely to score higher on engagement, performance and mission dimensions of virtual accountability practices. Private organizations have the lowest scores on every dimension, except for accessibility. Public organizations have the strongest scores …

Landowner Perceptions Of Oil And Gas Development In Mississippi And Policies Associated With Managing The Industry And Natural Resources, Rachael Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in oil and gas drilling technologies have led to an on-shore shale boom in the United States. This has increased drilling on forest land and conflicts regarding the tradeoffs of this practice. This study examines the forest landowner perspective of oil and gas development on forest land, policies that regulate the industry, opinions of land use tradeoffs, and what influences landowner decision making. This study also examines the balance of power between federal, state, and municipal government regarding the regulation of the oil and gas industry. A systematic random sample of 1200 landowners with more than 10 acres of …