Digital Commons Network^™

The Unfulfilled Promise Of Environmental Constitutionalism, Amber Polk

Articles

The political push for the adoption of state-level "green amendments" in the United States has gained significant traction in just the last couple of years. Green amendments add an environmental right to a state's constitution. Five such amendments were made in the 1970s in Pennsylvania, Montana, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Illinois. This Article looks in depth at the case law that has developed the contours of these constitutional environmental rights in the wake of the political revival of environmental constitutionalism in the United States. I distill two lessons from this jurisprudence. First, constitutional environmental rights are interpreted by the courts as …

Increasing Collaboration And Knowledge In School Communities To Enhance Outcomes For Autistic Students, Amy Jane Griffiths, Diana Baker, John Brady, Kelly Kennedy, Anaiza Valladolid, Rachel Wiegand, Raquel Delgado

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

This paper describes a case study of a developmental program evaluation on the Autism Community Toolkit, a collaborative skills training program for parents and school professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the training on participants’ knowledge, competence and perceived collaboration; and potential improvements to the training program.

Design/methodology/approach

The program included multiple training sessions for families and school professionals, designed to educate participants on autism, evidence-based interventions and to increase home-school communication and collaboration. Data collection methods included pre- and post-measures and feedback forms.

Findings

Results indicated that the training program was beneficial …

“I Suppose An Island Dweller Should Expect It To Be So”: The Contradiction And Drama Of Maternity And Islands In Caleb’S Crossing, Shayla Frandsen

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

Islands have a long tradition of capturing human imagination and functioning as a space that nurtures both magic and mystery. As geographic locations, they seem to avoid easy taxonomy even while behaving easily categorizable: they exist as tourist fantasies separate from everyday landscape even while many operate as an othered land that is still “safe” enough to visit. They are isolated yet capable of nurturing strong cultural identity. They also act as autonomous entities while still being interconnected within larger natural structures, coastlines, and waterways. In these ways and more islands navigate as border spaces of inherent contradiction—contradictions which are …

Vircy-Seq : A Protocol For Characterizing Viral Activity, Tyler James Dion

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The main purpose of pharmaceutical production is to produce safe effective medicine for patient use. In an effort to ensure patient safety constant surveillance for viruses takes place. The detection of a viral nucleic acid in a pharmaceutical production setting results in investigations to assess its infectious potential. This is an intensive, expensive process that entails many tests such as the observation of hemadsorption, cytopathic effects (CPE), and more. These tests are typically specific and only capture certain viruses, as factors like CPE can only be observed in some viral species. A new investigational method that is effective on all …

Performance Management And Contracting Out To Support Public Health Objectives : Evidence From U.S. Local Health Departments, Philip Gigliotti

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Contracting out and performance management have been universally adopted in public sector organizations, based on theoretical arguments that they would improve the efficiency and quality of public services. However, this broad adoption was carried out despite minimal empirical evidence that these interventions improve public service outcomes in practice. Traditionally, few studies have attempted to quantitatively link performance management and contracting out interventions to improvements in organizational performance and public service quality. A growing literature has investigated this relationship with inconclusive results, suggesting these interventions do not have a clear ability to improve organizational performance. This dissertation examines these relationships in …

A Patchwork Community : Exploring Belonging, Gender Roles, And God's Gifts Among Progressive American Mennonites, Christa D. Mylin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation demonstrates that progressive Mennonites in southern Pennsylvania struggle to find belonging within their congregations due to the fluid nature of Mennonite affiliations. Mennonites critically examined their institutions and relations with each other, and this critique often led to schism. This research addresses how a recent schism among progressive Mennonites led some people to experience nonbelonging and highlighted other conflicting values that people had within their conference. An overview of Mennonite history demonstrated that Mennonites have often formed separate fellowships when disagreements could not be resolved. However, this history also demonstrated that Mennonites have been adept at interpreting their …

Spatial Analysis Of Housing Vacancy : Time Lag, Spillover Effects, And Spatial Heterogeneity, Yutian Feng

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The housing vacancy issue has long been a concern for community development and urban planning, especially in old industrial cities since the second half of the 20th century. Following the subprime lending crisis in 2007, the problem of housing vacancy again attracts attention as it causes problems like housing inequity, neighborhood redevelopment, and spatial justice in most U.S. cities. This dissertation systematically builds up an analytical framework to explore the mechanism of housing vacancy, using Buffalo urban area as a case study. Firstly, the research pays attention to the factors contributing to housing vacancy. The dissertation also investigates if there …

Executive Functioning In Children And Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes : Associations With Hba1c, Glycemic Variability, And Household Income, Victoria Louise Ledsham

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has been repeatedly linked to executive functioning (EF) deficits in children and adolescents but the mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. Chronic hyperglycemia — frequently measured as glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels — and increased glycemic variability have both been proposed as risk factors for EF difficulties in this population, but it is unclear whether they each uniquely reflect T1DM-related risk for EF deficits. Furthermore, few studies have considered interactions between glycemic factors and family-level risk factors in shaping children’s EF development. Particularly, household income may exacerbate risk associations between HbA1c or glycemic variability …

Two Case Studies Examining How International Graduate Teaching Assistants Built Mathematical Literacy Knowledge Within The Affordances And Constraints Of A Calculus Instructional System, Patricia A. Rand

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

As universities contend with high rates of student attrition from intended STEM majors, due to many students’ difficulty in passing entry-level mathematics courses, they must examine the systems they have in place and determine how best to support these students. Historically, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are assigned to introductory calculus classes, which serve as undergraduate-level gatekeeping courses. On one hand, this allows for additional instructors to assist mathematics faculty; however, many universities do not provide adequate training in pedagogy for their GTAs. Untrained GTAs may not have the requisite pedagogical content knowledge to teach and support struggling students. GTAs should …

Understanding SjöGren's Syndrome As A Systemic Autoimmune Disorder, Gaietchyne Chery

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune condition characterized by a dysfunction in the lachrymal and salivary glands which results in dry eyes and dry mouth. Since its first description in 1892, the disease is one of the most common autoimmune diseases after lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in the United States. Despite its high prevalence in the general population, Sjögren’s syndrome remains hard to diagnose due to the wide range of symptoms associated with the disease that is also shared by other conditions. Furthermore, the mechanisms behind the pathogenesis are not properly understood even though multiple factors have been proposed to …

Soil From Footwear Is A Newly Rediscovered Type Of Forensic Evidence Due To The Application Of Modern Analytical Techniques : A Review, Rhilynn Haley Ogilvie

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Traces of soil discovered on a footwear were historically among the first types of evidence used by crime scene investigators. This type of evidence has been rediscovered recently due to the application of powerful analytical techniques providing quantitative characteristics of the soil (bio)chemical composition. Advanced statistical analysis of the quantitative data further improves the probative value of the soil evidence. The article overview main aspects of the emerging techniques for the forensic soil analysis and the factors that challenge data interpretation including mixing, contamination, and composition complexity. Overcoming these issues is crucial for utilizing soil analysis for forensic purposes.

La Presencia Y Accesibilidad Del Español En Los Sitios Web De Hospitales En El Estado De Nueva York, Jessica Dandrow

Languages, Literatures & Cultures

Resumen

La población hispana en los Estados Unidos está creciendo rápidamente, trayendo consigo la lengua española. Sin embargo, hay varios aspectos del país que aún no se han adaptado para mantenerse al día con estos cambios. Con el aumento del uso del Internet como modo para comunicarse y difundir información, uno podría esperar que se vea un aumento de la traducción de los sitios web en inglés al español; desgraciadamente, esto no parece suceder en el caso entre los sitios web de hospitales en los EE. UU., según las pocas investigaciones realizadas tratando este tema. La falta de traducción suficiente …

Metabolic Alterations And Cardiovascular Risk After Hepatitis C Cure In Subjects With Or At Risk For Hiv, Christophe Maxime Fokoua Dongmo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection engenders substantial metabolic changes. These changes are altered when the virus is cleared after successful treatment. We measured these metabolic alterations that occur after HCV cure; further, we assessed whether these alterations differed in subgroups defined by patients’ characteristics.

Evaluating The Health Impacts Of Fruit And Vegetable Intake At The Individual Level And Food Pantry Level Among Food Pantry Users, Jiacheng Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Chronic diseases impose heavy burdens on individuals and the healthcare system in the US. Many factors were found to be associated with chronic diseases, including demographics, family history, social environmental factors, and individual behavioral factors such as diet and physical activity. Among those factors, fruit and vegetable intake can have substantial health impacts via a variety of causal pathways. Fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption is generally lower among individuals living in households experiencing food insecurity and rely on food assistance programs. Decreased F&V intake among food pantry users may negatively impact health. However, conducting quantitative analysis on this population …

Innovation Capacity In Local Government Organizations : A Comparative Case Study Of Three Innovation Labs In The U.S, Qianli Yuan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Innovation in the public sector is a high priority on the agenda of both practitioners and academics, as government recently faces increasing citizens’ demands and growing wicked problems. It has been increasingly regarded as necessary to improve current practices that improve government performance in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. In response to this demand for innovation, many government organizations established innovation labs to strengthen their capacity to introduce new and innovative solutions. Being agile and small and having a certain level of autonomy, they are advocated as a “safe space” that applies a variety of approaches, methods, and toolkits …

A Composite Analysis Of Summer Afternoon Heavy Precipitation Events In The Taipei Basin Under Weak Synoptic Forcing And Pm2.5 Changes, Cidny Ramirez Martinez

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Taipei, Taiwan is a city affected by various types of precipitation. However, one of the most impactful short-term sources of precipitation is afternoon thunderstorms. Understanding the trends of these afternoon thunderstorms and the extent to which PM2.5 impacts precipitation totals is imperative for improving forecasting and developing urban infrastructure that can deal with said totals.

Characterizing And Epitope Mapping Single-Domain Antibodies On Borrelia Burgdorferi Protein Ospa, Saiful Basir

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Epitope mapping a protein that enables pathogenesis is crucial for the development of therapies and prophylactics that can inhibit the pathogen’s function and its transmission of disease. The lipoprotein OspA enables Lyme Disease etiologic pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, to inhabit the tick midgut until transmission occurs. Anti-OspA mAbs and their smaller VHH counterparts are highly specific and tailored to bind proteins such as OspA, reproducibly, at established binding sites or epitopes. Previous studies found an array of mAbs that successfully bound OspA and have already been used in epitope mapping. To our knowledge, this is the first use of VHHs in …

Essays On Career Progression Among The Underrepresented In Academic Biomedicine, Allison Nunez

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Representation of women and minorities in academia has historically lagged behind their white, male counterparts at all levels, from student to tenured professor. An important milestone in this progression in the biomedical sciences is the achievement of last authorship, which serves as a proxy for career independence. This work investigates gender gaps in last authorship using population-level data on biomedical publications, and further considers how these gaps may be a result of different rates of progression through the early career process. Additionally, the role a like-gender mentor can play in early career productivity and progress toward that important milestone is …

Return Of The Yellow Peril? Racism, Xenophobia And Bigotry Against Asian Americans, Jonghyun Lee

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding And Infant Support: Breastfeeding's Effects On Maternal Mental Health, Anna Jacobs

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Breastfeeding has proven to be beneficial for infant health and maternal physical health, but there are variable outcomes for maternal mental health. This literature review explores the relationship between breastfeeding and maternal mental health, a topic that is often disregarded when discussing breastfeeding with mothers. After an internship with Tiny Tusks Breastfeeding and Infant Support, a program to make breastfeeding more accessible at Razorback Athletics events, maternal mental health related to breastfeeding was shown to be a topic in need of more current research. This objective of this literature review was to determine how breastfeeding can impact maternal mental health …

Health Care Transition Experiences Of Youth With Intellectual Disabilities In A Post-Secondary Inclusive Program, Faith Duensing

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Between the ages of 18-21 years old, youth and young adults make the transition from pediatric to adult health care. While it may be an easy and seamless transition for some, that is not always the case, especially for youth and young adults with disabilities. Youth with disabilities experience several distinct health disparities compared to their peers without disabilities and these can be carried over to impact their health care transition (HCT) process. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the HCT experiences of young adults with disabilities and their families to learn and develop ways that …

The Helicopter State: Misuse Of Parens Patriae Unconstitutionally Precludes Individual And Class Claims, Gabrielle J. Hanna

Washington Law Review

The doctrine of parens patriae allows state attorneys general to represent state citizens in aggregate litigation suits that are, in many ways, similar to class actions and mass-tort actions. Its origins, however, reflect a more modest scope. Parens patriae began as a doctrine allowing the British king to protect those without the ability to protect themselves, including wards and mentally disabled individuals. The rapid expansion of parens patriae standing in the United States may be partly to blame for the relative absence of limiting requirements or even well-developed case law governing parens patriae suits. On the one hand, class actions …

Obstacles To Proving 24-Hour Lighting Is Cruel And Unusual Under Eighth Amendment Jurisprudence, Lauren Jaech

Washington Law Review

Twenty-four-hour lighting causes sleep deprivation, depression, and other serious disorders for incarcerated individuals, yet courts often do not consider it to be cruel and unusual. To decide if prison conditions violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, courts follow a two-part inquiry that requires examining the intent of prison officials (known as the subjective prong) as well as the degree of seriousness of the alleged cruel or unusual condition (the objective prong). Incarcerated individuals often file complaints challenging 24-hour lighting conditions. Whether they succeed on these claims may depend on the circuit in which they reside. Judges …

Disorderly Content, Ari Waldman

Washington Law Review

Content moderation plays an increasingly important role in the creation and dissemination of expression, thought, and knowledge. And yet, throughout the social media ecosystem, nonnormative and LGBTQ+ sexual expression is disproportionately taken down, restricted, and banned. The current sociolegal literature, which focuses on content moderation as a whole and sees echoes of formal law in the evolution of its values and mechanics, insufficiently captures the ways in which those principles and practices are not only discriminatory, but also resemble structures of power that have long been used to police queer sexual behavior in public spaces.

This Article contributes to the …

Childhood And Adolescent Obesity: Related Comorbidities And Interventions, Jasmine Wong

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States has steadily risen over the years and has become a public health concern. Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. Obese children and adolescents are at risk for poor health and poor quality of life. Furthermore, there are numerous comorbidities associated with childhood and adolescent obesity. While some of the associated diseases are acute, others can become chronic and result in lifelong conditions.

Objective

The purpose of the present thesis is to explore …

Impact Of Intergenerational Trauma Among Immigrant And Refugee Families: Effects On The Mental Health And Acquisition Of Care, Loralee Chea

Nursing | Senior Theses

Intergenerational trauma is described as a discrete form of trauma that occurs when traumatic effects are passed across generations without the descendants of trauma survivors having exposure to the original event (Isobel et al., 2021). It is a silent suffering experienced among immigrant families from all across the world who have survived war, genocide, displacements, loss, and other psychological trauma. An exploration of literature has also shown that the healthcare crisis from this form of trauma can be identified and intervened with preventative or treatment measures in clinical practice. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the mental …

Rising Costs Of Insulin And Effects Of Self-Management In Type 1 Diabetes, Justine Yadao

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes is a chronic condition where the pancreas may not be able to produce little to no insulin. This type of diabetes can be attributed to some factors such as age, family history, environmental factors or types of viruses. It is seen more often in children or adolescence but can develop in adults, averaging approximately 5-10% of the population.

Insulin is a type of hormone produced in the pancreas naturally or can be manufactured in the laboratory. People with Type 1 Diabetes need insulin from an exogenous source to …

Preventing Postpartum Complications Using A Home Visitation Model Of Care, Jenna Ingram

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

The United States is currently facing a health crisis among the maternal postpartum population. As stated by The Commonwealth Fund in a study released in 2020, “In 2018, there were 17 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in the U.S. – a ratio more than double of most other high-income countries” (Roosa, 2020). Most often, mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies and births are discharged soon after the delivery of their new baby. In most outpatient settings, providers do not expect a follow up appointment for the mother until roughly three to six weeks after discharge. During this transition period …

Substance Use Among Nurses As A Result Of Covid-19, And The Impact Of Rehabilitative Programs On Nurses, Gerome Macaspac

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background: The incidence of substance use among nurses has been a persistent issue for decades. The effects associated with substance misuse depend on what is used, the amount, how often, and how they are taken. Regardless of the substance used, any nurse who enters the workplace using substances puts the lives of others at risk. Due to the widespread effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a risk that the number of nurses resorting to the use of substances may have increased. Therefore, an investigation into drug use among nurses during the pandemic is particularly important.

Objective: To explore the …

Compassion Fatigue: The Impact On Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Adrian Huynh

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

Compassion fatigue comes from the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others through stressful and traumatic experiences. It is a form of fatigue linked to burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Many nurses are vulnerable to compassion fatigue from repeated exposure to the trauma of their patients. While compassion fatigue has been a continuing issue, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk and number of nurses developing compassion fatigue. This can affect patient care, workplace and personal relationships, and lead to development of more serious mental health issues.

Objective

To investigate the effects of compassion fatigue on the registered …