Digital Commons Network^™

Risky Business: Breakfast Sandwiches, Course Of Employment, And Revisiting Missouri Workers’ Compensation Law, Trent H. Hamoud

Missouri Law Review

Since its inception, the Missouri Workers’ Compensation scheme has presented interesting and complex problems regarding workplace risk allocation. To avoid workplace injuries, employees and employers engage in significant preventative behaviors. One such action by employers is employee monitoring. Clearly, however, constant workplace monitoring is not feasible. This inherent limitation leads to this Note’s initial inquiry: at what point do the actions of employees taken out of sight of their employers create compensable claims under the existing Missouri Workers’ Compensation system, and what inefficiencies may result from requiring that employers provide compensation for the injuries that arise from such actions? Boothe …

Creating An Impossible Burden: State Ex Rel. Becker V. Wood And Prosecutorial Vindictiveness, Rachael Moore

Missouri Law Review

In the American criminal justice system, prosecutors have an enormous amount of discretion and power. With dockets growing more cramped, prosecutors often use threats of harsher charges and sentences to deter defendants from exercising their right to a jury trial or an appeal. Prosecutors can also wield this power for purely vindictive or retaliatory purposes, as one prosecutor noted when reflecting on his career: Sometimes a public defender or a defense lawyer will just try and bust your ass all the time. Frankly, you end up busting theirs back. You get irritated, but you try not to take it out …

Blown Whistle Falls On Deaf Ears: The Eighth Circuit Interprets Map-21’S Whistleblower Provision, Sarah (Walters) Porter

Missouri Law Review

In recent years, whistleblowers have been praised as heroes by onlookers and in the media for bravely unveiling wrongdoing by their employers, but whistleblowers have not always enjoyed this white-hat status. These private employees expose themselves to serious risks of backlash and retaliation from their employers, historically without any guaranteed protection from Congress or their respective state legislatures. Decades-old social norms and corporate culture prioritized loyalty from employees. They allowed employers to fire employees who spoke out against the company and even blackball them from their respective industries. With blind loyalty or termination being the only options for employees witnessing …

The Destruction Gap: A Study Of The Unprotected Societal Interest In Privately Held Artworks, Jessica Schmitz

Missouri Law Review

Imagine putting a Warhol through a washing machine, a Rembrandt in a recycling bin, or a Seurat in a shredder. If you are the lucky owner of a masterpiece by one of these artists you may take any of these actions and face no legal repercussions, thereby destroying the artwork and removing it from the cultural landscape. Our understanding of world history would be neither as beautiful, illuminated, nor as informed if artworks of cultural significance like these were destroyed. For example, little would be known of the ideologies of pre-historic civilizations but for the sculptures, wall paintings, and other …

Patients' Preferences For Androgen Deprivation Therapy In The Treatment Of Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer, Brian De, Lisa M Lowenstein, Kelsey L Corrigan, Lauren M Andring, Deborah A Kuban, Scott B Cantor, Robert J Volk, Karen E Hoffman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background. For men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (IRPC), adding short-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) has shown efficacy, but men are often reluctant to accept it because of its impact on quality of life. Methods. We conducted time tradeoffs (score of 1 = perfect health and 0 = death) and probability tradeoffs with patients aged 51 to 78 y who had received EBRT for IRPC within the past 2 y. Of 40 patients, 20 had received 6 mo of ADT and 20 had declined. Utility assessments explored 4 ADT-related side effects: hot flashes, fatigue, loss …

Helping Students From Refugee Backgrounds Succeed In Higher Education Through Support Systems, Arinola Adebayo

Theses and Dissertations

Like every student enrolled in a higher education institution, students from refugee backgrounds are not only concerned about how to get into college, but how to connect with the support systems available to them on campus. The purpose of this research was to examine the social support systems available to college students from refugee backgrounds while on campus, the resources these students engaged in to keep them connected to college, and how they tapped into available resources to be successful in achieving their higher educational career and goals. Using qualitative methods, this research used an intrinsic-embedded, single-case design case study. …

Fracture Initiation And Propagation In Shale Formations With Anisotropic Toughness, Nourelhouda Benouadah

Theses and Dissertations

Hydraulic Fracturing (HF) is the prime technology for enhanced production from shale plays. Due to their laminations at different scales, shales exhibit transverse isotropic (TI) properties. In most cases the lamination planes are nearly horizontal in shales setting with the symmetric axes being vertical, therefore, shales are referred to as TI vertical (TIV) rocks. This influences significantly the initiation and propagation of the induced fracture during fracturing operation. For instance, accurate estimation of the fracture initiation pressure (FIP) and fracture morphology is essential to ensure optimum hydraulic fracturing design in unconventional reservoirs. However, majority of studies of HF modelling in …

Thermal Deposition Of Tin Onto Molybdenum Disulfide, Robert Boyd

Theses and Dissertations

Since the discovery of graphene and its various unique mechanical and electrical properties, the study of 2D materials has been at the forefront of material research. Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) are often at the epicenter of research due to their chemically inert nature. In addition, their lack of dangling bonds and reliance on van der Walls interactions ease cleaning/exfoliation. Making them ideal candidates for various applications ranging from electronics to energy storage and lubrication. Sn has two allotropes α-Sn and β-Sn. α-Sn is a low-temperature phase, a semiconductor with sp hybridized covalent bonds. On the other hand, β-Sn is metallic …

Factors Associated With New Hospital Nurses' Self-Efficacy In Providing Palliative End-Of-Life Care, Penny Marie Brriese

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Self-efficacy is defined as confidence in one’s competence; the ability to successfully accomplish tasks and achieve favorable outcomes (Bandura, 1997). Many nurses today say they feel their undergraduate education was inadequate for them to feel competent to provide palliative and EOL patient care. (Chiplaskey, 2016; Scherlin & Quinn, 2016; Zheng et al., 2018).). Inadequate EOL preparation also results in nurses experiencing distress, death anxiety, burnout, feeling overwhelmed and leaving practice within just a few years (Friedman et al., 2011; Gaw, 2012; Kovner et al., 2006; Parry, 2008; Silverstein, 2017, November 28; Suzuki et al., 2008; Wilson & Kirshbaum, 2013). …

Meta-Analysis For Comparing Effect Between Game-Based Learning Versus Gamification Utilized In Nutrition Education, Chia-Lin Chang

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016 and was declared as a global epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 (Haththotuwa et al., 2020; "Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Nutrition education that involves knowledge and behavioral change is one major component addressing the problem ("Controlling the global obesity epidemic," 2022). Therefore, the effectiveness of each learning session is essential (Sharifirad et al., 2013). Thus, many nutrition educators have used gamified nutrition education to improve teaching effectiveness to increase healthy behavior or knowledge (Chow et al., 2020.; Munguba et al., 2008; Azevedo et al., 2019). Two …

An Introduction To Numerical Relativity And Simulations Of Binary Neutron Stars, Hayden Dale Drown

Theses and Dissertations

The theory of general relativity is currently the best description of gravity. However, the equations in general relativity are highly nonlinear and only the simplest of cases can hope to be solved analytically. As a result, the field of numerical relativity was created to solve some of these issues and to model more complicated dynamical situations. This thesis sets out to give the reader a basic understanding of general relativity, numerical relativity, as well as an understanding of some of the programs that are used in numerical relativity research such as Lorene and the Einstein Toolkit and concludes with a …

The Moral Foundations Of Attitudes Toward Mask Wearing, Kristen N. Leighton

Theses and Dissertations

As COVID-19 becomes endemic it is important to understand individual differences in motivation and adherence to mask wearing policies and recommendations. Mask wearing appears to be one way to protect communities, slow the spread, and save lives when COVID-19 rates spike in communities The main study aim was to examine how Moral Foundations Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior, specifically subjective norms, may explain individual differences in mask wearing to slow the spread of COVID-19. Understanding the psychological correlates of why and how often individuals wear a mask to slow the spread of COVID-19 can help community leaders, public health …

Examining Cultural Identification And Substance Use Among American Indian And Caucasian Adults, Lynn Ruth Martell

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests American Indians (AIs) demonstrate higher levels of substance use and related consequences. AIs have experienced historical trauma through colonization which has created shifts in the way AIs conceptualize their identity. However, the literature on cultural identification as an influencing factor of substance use among AIs is inconsistent. The current study examined alcohol and drug use/related consequences, collective self-esteem, and cultural identification among 213 AI (n = 44) and Caucasian (CA; n = 169) adults via online surveys. Results indicated higher scores on the American Indian Cultural Identification (AICI) scale was a predictor for increased alcohol and drug …

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy/Spectroscopy Measurements And Density Functional Theory Calculations On Cr/Si Modified Surfaces And Probing Dielectric Properties Of A Si Nanocrystal Thin Film Using Xps, Sameera Madhusanka Pathirana Pathiranage

Theses and Dissertations

CrSi2 is an important refractory metal-silicide with high thermal power and a narrow bandgap which makes it a suitable material for high-temperature thermoelectric applications. The present work investigates the early stages of the growth of Cr film on Si (110) and its electronic properties by combining Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Density Functional Theory. Cr atoms deposited on Si (110) formed grains of CrSi2 with interfacial dislocations along 1/2<1 1-1> Burgers vectors. After annealing at 1100°C, disconnected CrSi2 crystallites emerged. The crystallites had well-defined facets. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements showed that the crystallites were metallic. Simulated DOS data of the facets also …

The Impact Of Betrayal Trauma On Sexual Assertiveness In Women And The Examination Of Trust And Self-Esteem As Mediating Factors, Alexandra Rehovsky

Theses and Dissertations

There is a significant body of research that links sexual assault to a decrease in sexual assertiveness; however, there is a gap in research exploring how other forms of trauma that involve a violation of trust and security within close relationships (i.e., other forms of betrayal trauma) may also negatively impact sexual assertiveness. In the current study, 310 female participants were assessed for a history of betrayal trauma, as well as self-reported sexual assertiveness. In addition, three potential mediators were included in the study (relational trust, sexual self-esteem, and global self-esteem) to further explore the relationship between betrayal trauma and …

A Survey Of Research Administrators To Identify Areas Of Administrative Burden In Federal Research Grant Management, Jessica Lynn Schiller

Theses and Dissertations

Many processes in higher education are complicated by administrative burden and proceduralinefficiencies. The federal government and research universities partner to advance science and technology, but the federal research grant process is criticized for its lack of efficient and streamlined procedures. Staff and faculty alike lament losing valuable time to bureaucratic regulations, cumbersome processes, and burgeoning reporting standards. As the cost of higher education is increasingly scrutinized, current procedures must be analyzed to identify areas of excessive administrative burden and redesigned to maximize efficiency. To address this issue, a Qualtrics survey was deployed to research administrators to identify areas of administrative …

Investigating Gender Diversity, Equity, And Inclusivity And Students’ Experiences Within Collegiate Team-Based Learning Environments, Marissa Elizabeth Saad

Theses and Dissertations

As the United States works towards strengthening and diversifying the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce, many national charges aim to increase the quantity of female participants, while overlooking how systematic barriers affect the quality of female students’ education. Many STEM workforce development programs, such as the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, are committed to improving the nation’s diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) efforts, enabling technical education through hands-on team-based learning (TBL) environments.

The purpose of this study was to take a holistic approach to assess how gender DEI in STEM team environments influence the quality of …

Telehealth Satisfaction Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hillary Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial disruptions and changes in mental health service delivery as community mental health clinics had to scramble to implement telehealth services to provide continuity of care under quarantine. For the current study, I conducted in-depth video interviews with ten clients from a community mental health training clinic who transitioned from in-person services to telehealth services. Twenty-one factors related to clients’ satisfaction with telehealth services and their perceived barriers to the treatment modality using a grounded theory framework. The majority of participants reported they were satisfied with telehealth but preferred to return to in-person therapy sessions with …

Melting Layer Analysis Of In-Situ Observations Obtained From Multiple Field Projects, Logan John Twohey

Theses and Dissertations

The process of melting snow as clouds precipitate is important for storm evolution. The atmospheric layer where melting occurs has largely been studied with radar observations that investigate the bright band region; however, in-situ observations are necessary to improve and verify these radar observations. In-situ observations during recent NASA field campaign are reviewed to obtain aircraft profiles of the melting layer. A total of thirty-three melting layer cases are analyzed for changes in area ratio and particle size distribution from above, within, and below the melting layer. Additionally, the effect relative humidity in the melting layer is analyzed. The area …

Beyond The Brick And Mortar: Examining Internal Selection Of Principals, Brittany Upton

Theses and Dissertations

Consistent growth, expansion, and construction in high enrollment North Dakota school districts and across the country lead to the addition of principal positions. This study closely examined the internal recruitment and selection of the building principal. Experienced principals who have led both a new and existing North Dakota public school with high enrollment served as field expert participants in a Delphi Study and qualitative document review. Ten Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) were used by participants as competencies to first identify which have been more important when considering leading both a newly built school and an existing school. After …

Non-Binary Gender Identity Development: A Qualitative Study, Trevor Waagen

Theses and Dissertations

Gender identity development models in psychology for transgender individuals have typically combined the experiences of binary transgender and non-binary transgender people into the same group. However, differences may exist between the two communities. Therefore, the present study sought to explore the lived experiences of non-binary adults and their gender identity development process. Through the lens of grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014), semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 non-binary participants to collect rich data on their gender identity development process. Transcriptions were coded and reviewed to develop themes and categories. The themes included: Connection and relationships, intersectionality and culture, gender in …

Road To Recovery: Social Acknowledgement, Disclosure And Self-Labeling Of Victims/Survivors Of Sexual Violence, Madison Waldron

Theses and Dissertations

Object: Sexual violence affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of social acknowledgement, self-labeling, and disclosure on active coping after experiencing sexual violence. Method: A sample of 174 young adults completed an online study which included questionnaires about past unwanted sexual experiences, social acknowledgment, disclosure, self-label, a timeline follow-back, and coping. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant main effect for social acknowledgement scores based upon label (p = .009). Participants who chose the “both” label felt more socially acknowledged compared to those who …

Leading Through Partnership: An Examination Of Longitudinal Trends In A School-University Partnership, Kala Burrell-Craft, Patrick Doyle, Mary Gregory, Jori S. Beck, Peter D. Wiens

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of this manuscript is to detail pre- and post- changes that occurred after a principal, Dr. D, was moved from one middle school to another. Dr. D brought an established partnership with him to his new school including a teacher residency program, UTeach replication program, and an on-site course. The results of ANOVAs are presented regarding the school climate according to student and teacher perspectives. Significant results were found on a number of variables including student belonging, bullying, and teacher autonomy. This manuscript addresses the National Association for Professional Development Schools Essential #5: Research and Results.

Lessons Learned From Two Teacher Educators: What Covid-19 Can Teach Us About Preparing Elementary Preservice Teachers To Teach The Next Generation Of Students, Min Jung Lee, Jennifer Kidd, Kristie Gutierrez, Elizabeth Langran (Ed.)

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has required teacher educators to teach their classes online. Teacher educators now need to reflect on the learning opportunities that the COVID-19 induced shift to online learning has provided. This study shares two teacher educators’ experiences of teaching and supporting preservice teachers (PSTs) as they taught engineering online to elementary students. The two teacher educators noticed (a) positive changes in PSTs’ attitudes and beliefs about technology integration, (b) PSTs’ tendency to select and use of educational technologies, (c) PSTs’ recognition of the importance of online interaction and feedback from K-12 students, (d) …

Supporting The Oral Language Development Of Young Dual Language Learners: Perspectives Of El Teachers In Nh, Maria C. Chouinard

Honors Theses and Capstones

Demographic shifts in the US over the last two decades have increased the diversity gap between teachers and their students. The majority of multilingual children entering US public schools face the challenge of learning academic content in not just one, but two languages. Despite many of the positive effects of being bilingual, Dual Language Learners (DLLs) often face more challenges in education achievement and opportunities than their monolingual English-speaking peers. A key factor of this challenge is the fact that DLLs tend to have monolingual English-speaking peers, and teachers have been shown to play a critical role in student learning. …

Combating Climate Change: Saving American Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure, Seamus Quinn

Honors Theses and Capstones

Climate change is a significant issue currently facing the United States’ wastewater treatment sector. It is becoming increasingly clear that its effects have the potential to damage and disrupt the operations of both treatment facilities and associated systems. This study aims to determine which effects of climate change contribute to this risk based on feedback from a combination of academic researchers and industry professionals. A case study of the city of Warwick, Rhode Island’s wastewater treatment facility was used to supplement this information based on an evaluation of how this particular system has been impacted by the effects of climate …

Should Cryptocurrency And Nft’S Be Used As Collateral?, John M. Helmanis

Honors Theses and Capstones

Nothing has captured the attention of modern finance quite like cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFT), whether it’s the massive skyrocketing price or the next day's sudden drop wiping out millions of dollars seemingly overnight. This paper seeks to understand cryptocurrencies and NFT's position in modern finance in terms of collateral. Specifically, the question that will be answered is should cryptocurrencies and NFTs be used as collateral? This question has relevance because widespread use as collateral would signify validation as an asset class that holds value. Some cryptocurrency brokers are making loans backed by cryptocurrency, but currently, no major banks are …

Characterization Of L-Malic Acid-Capped Cds Quantum Dots And Examination Of The Nanoncrystal's Biosensor Ability, Andrei A. Potapenko

Honors Theses and Capstones

Ligand-capped quantum dots are microscopic semiconductors commonly used in biomedical research and therapy for cell imaging and drug delivery. Despite the abundance of in vivo applications, the nature of interactions between the nanocrystals and the amino acids comprising human proteins remains insufficiently investigated. In this work, we report on the synthesis, ligand exchange, and characterization of the L-malic acid-capped CdS quantum dots via various spectroscopic techniques. We also assess the ligand-capped nanocrystals as potential probes for some amino acids. We determine that in the presence of L-cysteine, the L-malic acid-capped CdS quantum dots fluorescence signal quenches drastically, thus indicating a …

How The Media Frames Mental Health And Social Media: A Case Study Of The Facebook Whistleblower, Megan Switzgable

Honors Theses and Capstones

In September 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, leaked confidential documents surrounding internal research performed at the company, revealing that Facebook knew the negative impact Instagram had on the mental health of teenagers. In this paper, I study how the media frames the relationship between mental health, teenagers, and social media when discussing the leaked documents. In order to do this, I perform a critical discourse analysis of thirty print media articles written about the Facebook Whistleblower, focusing on how the
articles present gender, mental health, and the positive and negative uses of social media. I also look at …

Controls On Carbon Gas Fluxes From A Temperate Forest Soil, Natalie A. White, Ruth K. Varner, Clarice R. Perryman

Honors Theses and Capstones

Forest soils consume atmospheric methane (CH₄), serving as a major global CH₄ sink that uptake an estimated 22 ± 12 Tg of CH₄ per year. Temperature and soil moisture have been identified as key controls of the microbial consumption of CH₄ in forest soils. Climate-driven warming and changing moisture regimes may impact forest soils’ role in the carbon cycle, and recent works suggests that forests could become weaker CH₄ sinks. Long-term monitoring sites can capture these changes, leading to better predictions of CH₄ exchange between the atmosphere and soils under climate change. This study …