Digital Commons Network^™

Remotely Sensed Assessments Of Malnutrition In South Sudan, Rebecca Chausse

Public Health Theses

South Sudan is consistently considered the hungriest country in the world further exasperated by armed conflict and extreme climate events such as drought and flooding. This thesis includes a remote sensing analysis of thermal activity to assist in identifying areas with higher or lower Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scales in certain contexts. Key Findings reveal a statistically significant negative correlation between U.S. dollar price of cereals and tubers and observed thermal activity (p-value=0.0280703, rho=-0.6727273), indicating that an increase in one variable may coincide with a decrease in the other within Rumbek Centre and Gogrial West. These findings may …

Trauma-Informed Digital Health Interventions: A Scoping Review, Amelea Lowery

Public Health Theses

Background: Trauma exposure is a pervasive issue around the world and the impacts of trauma can be long lasting and detrimental to individual and population health outcomes. Trauma responses can influence and determine an individual or community’s approach in seeking supportive resources. Given the critical role of supportive resources and the prevalent use of technology and internet use, it is essential to understand how digital health interventions contribute to addressing trauma explicitly. This scoping review aims to explore the landscape of trauma-informed digital health interventions for adults, assess their outcomes, and identify their measurable impacts across various settings.Methods: A scoping …

A Simulation-Based Approach For Power And Sample Size Estimation In Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trials With Time-To-Event Outcomes, Xintong Lu

Public Health Theses

Stepped wedge cluster randomized trials (SWCRTs) have become increasingly popular across various disciplines, particularly in public health and medical research, as they allow evaluation of interventions rolled out sequentially across multiple clusters. However, time-to-event outcomes in SWCRTs pose significant methodological challenges. Traditional closed-form solutions for power and sample size estimation often fail to capture the complexities introduced by the implementation of staggered treatment and the discrete nature of outcome measurements. In this paper, we propose a simulation-based RShiny platform aimed at addressing these limitations by offering a more accurate and flexible approach to determining power and sample size in SWCRTs …

Garland V. Cargill: It’S A Duck! Except At The Supreme Court . . ., Maureen Johnson

Chapman Law Review

Garland v. Cargill may go down as one of the most notorious cases ever handed down by the Supreme Court. By a 6-3 tally, “bump stocks”—which essentially turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns—were deemed outside the purview of the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). Initially, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that bump stock-converted weapons did not fall within the statutory definition of a machine gun. Amidst a bipartisan outcry following the 2017 Las Vegas Massacre, the ATF changed course, determining that bump stock conversions were indeed “machine guns” and therefore prohibited by the NFA. …

Travel Literature. Mircea Eliade’S Occidental View In The Himalayan Journal And The Portugal Journal, Irina Armianu

Literatures and Cultural Studies Faculty Publications

This article retraces Mircea Eliade’s mystical travel through the Himalayas as shown in his Himalayan Journal and his struggle to survive as a writer under the weight of brutal historical events in his Portugal Journal. The two travel journals reveal the influence of geographical and historical elements on Eliade's mystical writing. A deeper analysis of these journals is necessary to link travel genre to mystical thought. The next pages will show (1) how these journals fit into the category of existential travel, as theorized by Erik Cohen in "The Phenomenology of Tourist Experiences" (179-201), (2) Eliade’s own transcendence of his …

Actuator Optimization And Control Of Pediatric Knee Exoskeleton For Community-Based Mobility Assistance: More Lightweight, More Affordable, And More Stable, Sainan Zhang

Dissertations and Theses

Lightweight and smart exoskeletons offer the potential to improve mobility in children. State-of-the-art pediatric exoskeletons are typically clinic-based since they are either tethered or portable but cumbersome, and their design is often not optimized across a range of environments and users. Child growth progressively alters key exoskeleton design requirements, yet no prior work investigated actuator optimization to accommodate child growth. Moreover, exoskeletons typically use the torque sensor or spring mechanics as exteroceptive feedback, but these torque sensing methods not only lead to extra cost and mass but also cause a small range of stable controller gains.

To facilitate pediatric exoskeleton …

Molecular Origins Of Phase Stability In Phase-Change Nano-Emulsions For Thermal Energy Storage By Nmr Spectroscopy, Jungeun Park

Dissertations and Theses

Phase change materials (PCMs) are latent heat storage materials that can store or release thermal energy during phase transitions. Organic PCM nano-emulsions are formed by emulsifying oil in water in the presence of surfactants, enhancing thermal conductivity and pumpability. However, PCMs nano-emulsions can become unstable due to repeated thermal cycling and shear in heat transfer systems.

To better understand the molecular origins of phase instability in PCMs nano-emulsions, liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements were applied to a model PCM nano-emulsion. Quantitative ¹H single-pulse NMR measurements established the liquid fraction of oil within nano-emulsions as a function of temperature, …

Understand The Structure-Water-Responsive Relationship By Engineering Silk Materials, Yeojin Jung

Dissertations and Theses

Water-responsive (WR) materials mechanically swell and shrink in response to changes in relative humidity, and they have demonstrated the capability to exert higher actuation energy than conventional actuators and artificial muscles. As a result, WR materials have recently gained attention as potential high-energy actuating components for engineering applications. Despite the growing interest in this emerging category of WR materials, the fundamental WR mechanism of their significant performance is still not fully understood, limiting the ability to rationally design engineered systems. This dissertation presents three approaches for understanding the water-responsiveness of materials by engineering Bombyx (B.) mori silkworm silk protein. First, …

Brics Currency And Dollar Hegemony: Passing Of The Torch?, Sami Tomaihi

Dissertations and Theses

The dawn of the 21st century has brought with it tremendous uncertainty with regard to the nature of global dominance. As doubts concerning the United States’ viability as a hegemon emerge, questions about how new powers may come to prominence circle (Rapayane, 2020). The BRICS bloc -- consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, respectively -- is a collection of regional powers in the developing world that have engaged in a series of high-profile collaborations together in the ostensible interest of increasing global advocacy within the developing world (Kubayi, 2022). One radical means that has been proposed within …

Parasympathethic Nervous Activity And Social Exclusion In Borderline Personality Disorder, Rebecca E. Barnes

Dissertations and Theses

Abstract

The experience of being excluded is universally unpleasant. However, for individuals that suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), the experience of social exclusion, or ostracism can be unbearable (Bortolla, et al., 2019). While there is a significant amount of research on physiological reactivity in BPD, no studies adequately connect the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) responses of people with BPD to social exclusion which is critical to understand as the inability of the PNS of individuals with BPD to adapt to stressors may be a contributing factor to the elevated rate of suicide and suicide attempts in this clinical population …

Motherhood In Crisis: A Qualitative Study Of First-Time Mothers Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Tamzin M. Baker

Dissertations and Theses

The aim of this study is to explore the psychological impact of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) on a first-time mother’s identity. What effects does life-threatening illness have on the development of maternal identity and connection? This question was explored with a sample of six mothers via semi-structured interview and self-report measure with the aim to shed light on a scarcely studied phenomenon that is predicted to affect a greater number of mothers in the future. These research questions were explored through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith et al., 2009) resulting in group experiential themes and three theoretical constructs: (1) a …

Teach Them How To Say Goodbye: Student Therapist Termination At A Psychodynamic Training Clinic, Michael Ferrara

Dissertations and Theses

Termination is arguably one of the most important aspects of psychotherapy, however, the research into training for termination is sparse. Further, student therapists report that their training for termination provided little guidance, instruction, or acknowledgment of clinical realities around treatment endings. Using a semi-structured interview with a sample of 11 student therapists at a psychodynamic training clinic, this study explored experiences of termination and the preparation for those endings. Qualitative thematic analysis indicated that this group of student therapists did not experience shared and structured termination training but did not feel they were unprepared for the endings with their patients. …

Identity-Focused Therapist Self-Disclosure In Matched Sexual/Gender Minority Dyads: A Longitudinal Therapy Process-Outcome Study, Brian Thomas Neff

Dissertations and Theses

Therapist self-disclosure (TSD) is a controversial clinical intervention whose benefits and drawbacks remain contested. Notably, no prior research has differentiated explicitly between self-disclosures related to the therapist’s core identities and those peripheral to identity, and qualitative studies suggest that identity-focused therapist self-disclosure (TSD-I) may be beneficial when therapist and patient share at least one marginalized identity. LGBTQ+ people, who experience significant health disparities and utilize psychotherapy more than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, could benefit particularly from TSD-I. The mental and physical health challenges facing LGBTQ+ individuals are predominantly explained through minority stress theory, which suggests that societal prejudice and …

Investigating The Roles Of Dapk, P53/Cep-1, And Mitochondrial Damage In Necrotic Neurodegeneration In C. Elegans, Anil Singh

Dissertations and Theses

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., with minority groups, suffering higher fatality rates. Stroke is caused by ischemia, where occlusion of blood supply to the brain results in neurodegeneration. Most of the damage is attributed to excitotoxicity, where an accumulation of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the synapse overstimulates postsynaptic neurons and ultimately leads to cell death (largely by necrosis). Stroke treatments are often ineffective, due to the delay between the onset of stroke and the delivery of effective treatment. To address this, we focus our study on putative later-acting mediators of excitotoxicity such as …

Synthesis Of Novel 5-Aryl 2’-Deoxyuridine And 2’-Deoxycytidine Analogues, Kevin E. Persaud

Dissertations and Theses

Briefly, the following report details a synthetic route to prepare 5-phenyl-2’-deoxycytidine analogues. This multistep synthesis began with silyl protection of the 3’- and 5’-hydroxyl groups of 5-iodo-2’-deoxyuridine. Next, the installation of a phenyl ring at the C5 position of the nucleobase via a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction, yielding 5-phenyl-2’-deoxyuridine (5-PdU). After that, modification of the obtained 5-PdU at the C4 position was performed with benzotriazole-1-yl-oxy-tris-(dimethylamino)-phosphonium hexafluorophosphate (BOP, a peptide-coupling agent) and a base (cesium carbonate) to activate the amide group of the uridine nucleobase for subsequent displacement with a variety of amines. Modification of the C4 position resulted in protected 5-phenyl-2’-deoxycytidine …

Character Strengths In Applied Behavior Analysis And The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study, Michael G. Johansen

Dissertations and Theses

Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have continued to rise. Individuals diagnosed with ASD may display a range of deficits in social communication, behaviors, and symptoms that limit everyday functioning. Among the treatments for ASD, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is typically the earliest and longest intervention individuals with ASD are exposed to. Concerns have been raised over ABA being a compliance-based therapy which potentially produces prompt reliance, reinforcement dependency, and a lack of intrinsic motivation. In an attempt to address these concerns, this study aimed to assess the potential benefits of including the concept of character strengths from the field …

Mentalized Affectivity Among Adolescents In Wilderness Therapy: An Initial Exploration, William Holland

Dissertations and Theses

Mentalized affectivity (MA) blends emotion regulation and mentalization in a single construct that underlies psychopathology and is a target of psychotherapeutic intervention as a mechanism of change. Little research has investigated MA’s role in psychopathology and treatment for adolescents. Change in MA has yet to be investigated. Wilderness therapy is a non-traditional treatment model for “hard-to-reach” adolescents; its mechanisms of change have not been robustly researched. This study aims to investigate change in adolescents’ MA capacities over the course of wilderness therapy, in order to explore the role of MA components (Identifying, Processing, Expressing) in adolescent psychopathology; the relation between …

Making Sense Of The Space Between: A Qualitative Study Of Therapist’S Experience And Use Of Therapeutic Enactments, Paul Ballantyne Lafreniere

Dissertations and Theses

This study sought to examine a particular category of technical challenge in therapy: enactments. Enactments, broadly defined, are moments or stretches of time in therapy where both the patient and therapist cannot put their conflicts into words, and instead act them out within the therapeutic milieu. These phenomena frequently elicit shame and guilt on the part of the therapist, and can prove detrimental to treatment. Equally, however, investigation of these moments within treatment can be of considerable clinical utility. In this qualitative phenomenological study, 6 therapists were interviewed about their experiences working with enactments in clinical practice. The strategies which …

The Role Of The Vibrio Cholerae Type Vi Secretion System During Kin Cell Interaction, Biofilm Formation And Priority Effects, Karen A. Castro

Dissertations and Theses

Vibrio cholerae’s Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is one of the arsenals used by the bacteria for its long-term survival in different environments, against a variety of opponents, and for its maintained pathogenicity in vulnerable regions of the world. Therefore, the more we understand about the activity of the T6SS, the closer we get to understanding its role in bacterial competition; inter-and-intra, and how this shapes a bacterial niche. Further, although the probiotic-like effect in the V. cholerae vaccine is described to work fast due to niche uptake hindering colonization of toxigenic strains, it is not yet clear if there …

The Character Of The Narrator: The Historiography Of Hernan Diaz's Trust And Valeria Luiselli's Lost Children Archive, Sean Mcdonaugh

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Dostoyevsky And Wright On Becoming The Underground Man, Zain Alam

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the parallels between Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground and Richard Wright's The Man Who Lived Underground, focusing on their shared use of the "Underground Man" archetype to critique philosophical and societal structures. Dostoyevsky's Underground Man embodies the contradictions of Determinism and Rational Egoism in 19th-century Russia, exposing the flaws of these ideologies through satire. In contrast, Wright recontextualizes this character to address racial injustice in mid-20th-century America, using Fred Daniels' descent into a literal underground to highlight systemic oppression. By comparing these works, the thesis demonstrates how both authors utilize the underground as a metaphorical space …

Virginia Woolf & The Ontology Of The Swerve, Brandon Borcoman

Dissertations and Theses

This paper attempts to show how Lucretius' ontology of the swerve, or clinamen, influenced Virginia Woolf's writing. By using Gilles Deleuze, Michel Serres and likeminded theorists, the idea is to not only explicate Lucretian thought, but to also succinctly incorporate it into the Woolfian oeuvre.

America’S Enabler: How Colson Whitehead’S The Underground Railroad Contributes To Racial Inertia, Cherif Ba

Dissertations and Theses

Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad was met with near universal acclaim and enjoys regard as an important work which illustrates the difficulty and horror that was black life under chattel slavery. This essay argues that despite the work’s stated purpose, its ultimate, if unintended effect is to reify the current racial hierarchy. Drawing primarily from current events and an Afropessimist framework, I attempt to illustrate how this work, and others like it, occupy a specific space in the cultural zeitgeist bent to a specific purpose: obfuscating contemporary liberalism’s current transgressions from its past ones and maintaining a social stratum with …

From Bushwick To Portland: Bori Girls Of The Diaspora Revolutionizing The Puerto Rican Coming-Of-Age Narrative, Lily V. Alvarado

Dissertations and Theses

Trailblazing Puerto Rican women in the diaspora have challenged dominant imagery and fought against patriarchy, U.S. imperialism, and white supremacy through their writing. Writers like Esmeralda Santiago and Nicholasa Mohr have transformed the literary canon via the bildungsroman, highlighting the unique struggles of Boricua girlhood and proving that our stories matter. Two prominent female Boricua writers today, Elisabet Velasquez and Gabby Rivera, have raised the baton that has been passed down to them and revolutionized the Diasporican literary canon. In their respective texts, When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel and Juliet Takes a Breath, Velasquez and Rivera highlight the …

An Excavation Of Margaret And Jerry Morgan: How The Architecture Of Black Liminal Spaces Shaped Antebellum Conflict Between Maryland And Pennsylvania, Felicia A. Appenteng

Dissertations and Theses

In the 1830s, Jerry and Margaret Morgan and their six children were living as a free Black family in rural Pennsylvania, one of a growing number of such families in a part of the state that bordered Maryland. Suddenly, their lives were violently disrupted in 1837 when a group of men from Maryland, led by Edward Prigg, entered into Pennsylvania to seize Margaret and the children so that they could be enslaved. Although the most dramatic, this was only the latest twist in the unusual lives of the Morgan family. Jerry Morgan was born into enslavement, gained his freedom, and …

Torricelli's Law And The Turn-Up Number, Bianca K. Hampel

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate Torricelli's differential law for solids of revolution. Computing the ratio of times of drainage under the same circumstances (same existing requirements) but rotating the solids 180 degrees allows us to define a "Torricelli turn-up number" associated with the solid. For various solids, we calculate this turn-up number and construct solids that are not symmetric under the 180-degree rotation but with a turn-up number of 1. That allows us to construct nonsymmetric clepsydra.

Signature Moves? An Environmental Scan Of The Intersection Between Educational Development And Sotl, Laura Cruz, Hillary H. Steiner, Clare Cruz

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Although the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has been described as the signature pedagogy of educational development (a professional field focused on support for teaching and learning in higher education), there is little systematic evidence of the scale and scope of the SoTL support practices that centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) are currently using, how they are using them, and how these practices connect across the ecosystem of higher education. To understand the evolving intersection between educational development and SoTL, we used web scraping/content analysis to explore the current state of SoTL support at U.S.-based CTLs (as reflected …

Faculty And Student Perspectives Of Critical Pedagogies Of Care In An Arabian Gulf Liberal Arts University, Noora Shuaib

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Culturally and historically sensitive material and highly diverse student bodies challenge educators in the higher education classroom. Transformative and empowering pedagogies address how different types of learners may experience sensitive material. Critical pedagogies of care create supportive educational environments, compassionate teaching practices, and empower students through diversified content. Pedagogies of discomfort, a subset of pedagogies of care, push educators and students to leave their comfort zones, recognize the non-neutrality of educational processes, and confront the discomfort of challenging knowledge. When applied correctly, these pedagogies promote critical thinking and transformative action, and counter the neoliberal and white supremacist values that often …

Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military, Sonja Woolley

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of LGBTQ+ personnel policies in the U.S. military, analyzing how these changes reflect broader social transformations and the military’s role as both a mirror and catalyst in societal shifts. It traces the historical roots of discriminatory practices against queer and transgender servicemembers, identifying key periods of reform and resistance. Using institutional theory to dissect the mechanisms of policy adaptation, this paper focuses on coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, which illustrate the complex interplay between external societal pressures, internal demands for legitimacy, and the professionalization of the military. Through detailed case studies, the thesis highlights how …

Seagrassnet Monitoring Program 2024 - 2028: Quality Assurance Project Plan, Trevor Mattera, Lara Martin, Nathaniel Gruen, Kalle Matso, David Burdick

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.