Digital Commons Network^™

The Body Is On, Kitty F. Davies

Theses and Dissertations

THE BODY IS ON is a visual art exhibition that considers queer embodiment, pervert as political identity, the arriving climate catastrophe, and difficulty in artmaking. I make use of various concepts from Deleuze and Guattari to interconnect my own with the primary goal to ask: what does futurity look like or mean in these climates (in both a literal, warming sense and an increasingly fascistic, political one), and how do we actualize that future?

Drone-Based Multimodal Sensing On Vegetations And Data Analytics For Early Detection Of Gas Leakage From Underground Pipelines, Pengfei Ma

Doctoral Dissertations

"This study explored the feasibility of using multimodal remote sensors in the early detection of natural gas leaks from underground pipelines, as vegetation situated above pipelines can discern microbial changes in soil when affected by gas and exhibit physiological stress symptoms on leaves. Three sensors (RBG, thermal, and hyperspectral cameras) were utilized to monitor vegetation stress as an indicator of gas leaks. A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the workability of vegetation for gas leak detection. Regular hyperspectral imagery was collected from test vegetations to identify gas stress and distinguish it from other environmental stressors such as salinity impact, …

A Hybrid Data Processing, Computational Intelligence, And Complex Systems Modeling Approach For Describing And Predicting The Bitcoin Market, Oluwadamilare Akinpelu Omole

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Bitcoin market, like traditional financial markets, is a complex system with intricate interdependencies and nonlinear interactions among various market elements. This, coupled with the inherent uncertainty and high volatility present, makes predicting Bitcoin price movements difficult. The lack of understanding of the underlying market dynamics often results in significant losses for investors and traders. Existing studies have focused on the use of predictive models, which have not sufficiently captured the complexities of the market and cannot forecast extreme market events. This research endeavors to bridge this gap by combining data processing techniques, computational intelligence, and complex systems theory to …

Clarification Of Public Health Pathways Toward Clinical Careers: A Pilot Study Describing A Benchmark Analysis Project, Elizabeth A. Brown, Melissa Feliciano, Daniel Martinez

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Introduction: Undergraduate public health programs have adapted the required basic sciences based on medical and technological advances and the needs of the public health workforce. We aim to demonstrate how a benchmark analysis project was used to improve curriculum and develop a model where basic sciences in public health can be used to build pathways to clinical graduate programs like medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, etc.

Methods: Authors conducted a benchmark analysis of Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) Degrees (or public health-related degrees) in the southern region of the United States (US) to explore required basic sciences. Authors searched …

Effect Of An Elective On Preparation For Fieldwork In An Acute Care Setting, Abbey Glenn, Brandi Fulwider

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

The current study evaluated the effect of an eight-day elective course on preparedness for the acute care setting. The course was offered to Master of Science in occupational therapy students before their second Level II fieldwork experience and focused on developing necessary skills for success in acute care. Course content was based on feedback from previous students, fieldwork educators in acute care, and faculty experiences in that setting. Specifically, the course combined case-based and skills-based simulations to help students develop skills and to build confidence. Small group activities involving role-playing communication scenarios were also included, where students played the role …

Effects Of Ethanol And Neuropeptide-Y Signaling On Neurogenic Markers In The Hippocampus, Cassidy Taylor Leibold

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

According to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health in 2023, 28.9 million people over the age of 12 in the United States meet criteria for an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). AUDs result in a range of both social and behavioral consequences, caused by damage to the central nervous system. The hippocampus is a brain structure that undergoes cellular changes in the presence of ethanol, thus causing structural and functional damage. Impairments in neurogenesis, or the production of new neurons, due to ethanol exposure result in decreased plasticity and consequently memory impairments. The mechanisms of these ethanol-induced decreases in …

The Effects Of Differential Rearing On The Social Renewal Of Fentanyl Seeking, Bree A. Humburg

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The role of social influences regarding addiction-like behaviors have been shown to have both positive and negative impacts. Having a positive and wide supportive social network increases the longevity of abstinence in humans (Kelly et al., 2014; Mercer et al., 2021). Rodents that have access to enriching environments that include social peers self-administer less drug and drug seek less compared to rodents in isolation (Bardo et al., 2001; Garcia & Cain, 2021; Ranaldi et al., 2011). On the other hand, social factors can increase the likelihood of relapsing (de Wit & Sayette, 2018; Yates, 2023). In preclinical models, social peers …

Girl, You Crazy, Stefani T. Flanagan

Master's Projects

The main premise behind Girl, You Crazy is to inform others of what life is like as someone who experiences psychosis (specifically schizoaffective disorder), as well as show the warning signs that I believe people should be aware of. This text is a nonlinear narrative of my personal experience that explores themes of substance abuse, hallucinations, religion, interpersonal conflict, and family dynamics starting from 2019 through 2025, through the onset of symptoms to diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. This work also entails some of my experiences as a gay Black woman who was raised in a religious family, bullied throughout my …

Research Reimagined: The Dissertation-To-Book Journey And Building A Scholar-To-Author Presence, Seema Kumar

Master's Projects

This capstone project, completed for a second master's degree after a Ph.D., discusses aspects of transforming the doctoral dissertation on digital versus manual mediums in fashion design into a research monograph book proposal for academic publication. It reflects on a publisher's requirements and the process, including de-thesizing the dissertation, planning the book's structure, rewriting sample chapters to improve flow and readability, and creating a table of contents that demonstrates the work's development into a publishable book rather than a dissertation. Another part of the project includes developing an author platform through blog posts and platforms such as Substack, preparing the …

Influence Of Multi-Species Data On Gene-Disease Associations In Substance Use Disorder Using Random Walk With Restart Models, Erich J. Baker, Everest U. Castaneda, Sharon Moore, Jason A. Bubier, Stephen K. Grady, Michael A. Langston, Elissa J. Chessler

Funded Scholarship

A major challenge lies in discovering, emphasizing, and characterizing human gene-disease and gene-gene associations. The limitations of data on the role of human gene products in substance use disorder (SUD) makes it challenging to transition from genetic associations to actionable insights. The integration of data from multiple diverse sources, including information-dense studies in model organisms, has the potential to address this gap. We demonstrate a modified performance of the Random Walk with Restart algorithm when multi-species data is integrated in the heterogeneous network within the context of SUD. Additionally, our approach distinguishes among disparate pathways derived from the Kyoto Encyclopedia …

Rescued From Oblivion: Antoni Benaiges And Transgressive Pedagogy In El Maestro Que Prometió El Mar (Font, 2023), Parker Lawson

Funded Scholarship

Patricia Font’s historical drama, El maestro que prometió el mar (2023), focuses on the pedagogy of Antoni Benaiges (1903–1936), a Republican educator who served for two years at a school in rural Burgos prior to being assassinated just days after the Nationalist uprising in July 1936. Focused also on the efforts to recuperate the legacy of Benaiges, whose body was deposited in a mass grave and has never been identified, the film employs a dual timeline narrative, telling interconnected stories in the past and the present to shed light on pre-Civil War education and contemporary discourses and practices of historical …

Public Projection | Window, Kameron Neal, Movement Lab

Course Materials

No abstract provided.

Variation In Maternal Alkaloid Provisioning And Its Effects On Antimicrobial Defense In Tadpoles Of The Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio, Erica Berent

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Genetic Influences On Individual Variability In Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) Social Behavior, Hadley Mueller-Hill

Master's Theses

While primates are considered highly social animals, the evolutionary origins and mechanisms underlying their social behaviors remain unclear. Not only do they exhibit an extensive range of behaviors, but individuals within the same species can also vary widely in their social interactions. Genetics play a significant role in shaping these individual variations in behavior; multiple genetic variants have been associated with differences in social behavior in mammals. Examples of these include MAOA and OXTR genes, which influence the expression of behaviors associated with antisocial and prosocial temperaments. Genetic polymorphisms affect primate interactions, impacting an individual’s ability to maintain its status …

Analysis Of The Microbiome Of Amblyomma Americanum In The Statesboro Region, Ella Zierdt, Lorenza Beati, Mary Humphrey, Saviour Dralabu

Honors College Theses

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is the most common tick in Georgia. It is mainly known as an Ehrlichia spp. vector, but its microbiome can be diverse, depending on geography, developmental stage, and season. Little is known about bacterial diversity in ticks from the southeastern U.S. A Nanopore MinION sequencer was used for a preliminary analysis of the bacterial microbiome in A. americanum from the Statesboro region. DNA was extracted from 39 nymphs, 35 males, and 39 females. DNA samples were pooled by month of collection and life stage/sex, amplified with barcoded 16SrDNA primers, and sequenced. Approx. 77% …

Parasitism By The Twisted-Winged Parasite Xenos Peckii (Strepsiptera), And Its Effects On The Ovary Development In Their Host Paper Wasp, Polistes Metricus (Hymenoptera), Alex K. Snyder

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Strepsiptera are generally described as parasitic castrators as they cause the reproductive death of the hosts. In southeast Georgia, only a handful of paper wasps are hosts for twisted-winged parasites. One such species, Polistes metricus, is parasitized by a twisted-winged parasite, Xenos peckii. Previous studies document that host survivorship at most developmental stages was not largely influenced by the presence of X. peckii. To determine if X. peckii can affect their host’s ability to survive and reproduce, we dissected P. metricus to determine ovary development and the presence of X. peckii parasites. Parasite presence had no effect on the host’s …

Evaluating Impacts Of Footpaths On Resiliency Of Restored Dunes At Tybee Island, Georgia, Skyler J. Fox

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Sand dunes provide critical ecosystem services including storm protection by acting as natural barriers. However, these systems are threatened by human disturbance, particularly pedestrian traffic occurring at footpaths that damages dune vegetation. Vegetation is essential to dune growth and stability, as dune plants trap and bind sand. When trampled, dunes become more vulnerable to erosion and less effective at providing coastal protection. On Tybee Island, Georgia—a popular tourist destination—a vegetated dune was constructed in 2020 to enhance storm protection. This study assessed how footpaths impact dune resiliency and aimed to inform management strategies. I evaluated: (1) how characteristics of vegetation, …

Biological Control Of Ticks In Domestic Environments: Modeling The Potential Impact Of Entomopathogenic Fungi On The Transmission Of East Coast Fever In Cattle, Joseph Wang Ang A. Oundo, Nienke Hartemink, Mart C.M. De Jong, Constantianus J.M. Koenraadt, Shewit Kalayou, Daniel Masiga, Quirine Ten Bosch

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Biological control of ticks using entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) is a highly desired alternative to chemical acaricides for the control of tick-borne pathogens. For Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE 7, one of these EPFs, efficacy against multiple tick species has been demonstrated in laboratory and field settings. However, we currently have little quantitative understanding of how EPFs can impact transmission. We developed a deterministic model of tick–host–pathogen interactions to explore how the effects of EPF on Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks may impact the transmission dynamics of East Coast fever (ECF) in cattle populations. We parameterized the multi-faceted effects of EPFs on tick dynamics …

Psychometric Evaluation Of A Novel Measure Of Trauma-Related Cannabis Use To Cope, Sage E. Hawn, Terrell A. Hicks, Christopher Latourrette, Anita Thomas, Daniela Chaname, Sarah Ehlke, Abigail Powers Lott

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are commonly comorbid and are associated with many negative public health outcomes. One plausible explanation for this comorbidity comes from a self-medication framework, which suggests people use cannabis to cope with PTSD symptoms. Despite theoretical and empirical evidence for PTSD-related cannabis use to cope, no measure of this construct exists.

Objective: We sought to address this gap by developing and validating a novel measure of PTSD-specific cannabis self-medication, which we have termed the Trauma-Related Cannabis Use to Cope (TRCU) questionnaire.

Method: The psychometric properties of the TRCU and how it …

The Impact Of Peer Observational Learning On Honesty Following A Transgression, Hannah M. Sliman, George H. Noell

Psychology Faculty Publications

Parents and teachers worry about how lying affects children's development and socialization, as research links persistent lying to delinquency, aggression, and conduct issues. To investigate this, we examined two groups: Honest and Praise versus a Control Group, exploring how exposure influenced children's honesty and confession after transgressions. The study aimed to see if observing peers receive praise for honesty could promote truthfulness. Gender's impact on reporting honesty was assessed. Results showed no significant difference in honesty between the HP and CG groups; children confessed at similar rates in both conditions. Gender did not affect honest reporting. These findings differ from …

Am I As Effective At Identifying Emotions As Artificial Intelligence? A Comparative Study Of Emotional Recognition, Traci R. Grove, Alexandra T. Lucas, Maryann Martin, Cathleen M. Deckers, Lulu Sherif Mahmood, Nicole Danaher-Garcia, Mark W. Scerbo, Suzan Kardong-Edgren, Janice C. Palaganas

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background

Learning conversations, or dialogues aimed at deepening understanding and reflection, are deeply influenced by emotions. Effective communication is influenced by emotional intelligence - the ability to recognize, understand, and manage both one’s own and others’ emotions. While advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer new tools for emotion recognition, these technologies still struggle with accurately interpreting subtle and culturally diverse emotional expressions, sparking debate about their reliability and effectiveness. This article provides a comparative analysis of human versus AI recognition of emotions during an end-of-course reflective learning conversation.

Methods

Emotions during a structured post-conference debriefing were analyzed and coded by …

Chironomids Shed Light On Organic Matter Dynamics In Macroinvertebrate Communities In Prairie Pothole Lakes In West-Central Minnesota, Usa, Tracey M. Anderson, Sarah G. Winikoff, Michael L. Sorensen, Melissa L. Rudeen

Biology Publications

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in North America is characterized by a high density of wetlands that can range from temporary habitats to small lakes. Much of the PPR has been converted to agriculture resulting in outright habitat loss, eutrophication, sedimentation, introduction of agrochemicals, and the introduction of invasive plants and animals. We compared two prairie pothole lakes, Cottonwood Lake and Page Lake, to assess the functional roles and trophic structure of the macroinvertebrate communities in this highly altered landscape. We collected macroinvertebrate samples from littoral and profundal regions of each lake with an Ekman grab sampler in winters of …

Sustainable Agricultural Alternatives To Cope With Drought Effects In Semi-Arid Areas Of Southern Mozambique: Review And Strategies Proposal, Celso Mondlhane, Lawrence Munjonji, Íris Victorino, Carlos Huenchuleo, Paula Pimentel, Pablo Cornejo

All Grantees Publications

Drought, pests, soil fertility depletion, environmental challenges, and the limited use of agricultural inputs continue to plague food production in many developing countries such as Mozambique. As a response to these production constraints, sustainable strategies must be defined to cope with these problems. One strategy, largely applied worldwide, is the combination of the usage of plant growth-promoting microorganisms, conservation tillage, intercropping, and crop residue management. The above can help smallholder farmers to become more resilient, sustainable, and productive, in a framework where the limitations imposed by global climate change are being exacerbated. The impacts of these strategies are less known …

Photocatalytic Remediation Of Selected Emerging Organic Pollutants In Industrial Effluent Using Conducting Polymeric-Based Nanocomposites Photocatalysts -A Review, Joshua Akinropo Oyetade, Kolajo Oluwafemi, Vanessa N.K Hammond, Angela Boateng, Revocatus Lazaro Machunda, Askwar Hilonga

Minerals, Mining and Materials Engineering

Emerging organic pollutants in industrial effluents pose huge environmental and health challenges, with conventional effluent treatment methods often insufficient for effective abatement of these toxic pollutants. This is the rationale behind the need for the development of a novel class of photocatalysts known as conducting polymeric-based nanocomposites for proficient photocatalytic remediation of these pollutants. The pollutants of interest in this review are the pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), pesticides and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with appreciable presence in industrial wastewater. The review comparatively reported various state-of-the-art engineering approaches for the fabrication of this class of nanocomposite photocatalysts with well-tailored properties …

Uncertainty In Decision-Making Within The Dental Context Of Malaysia’S Multi-Ethnic Population – A Mixed-Methods Study, Prashanti Eachempati

Peninsula Dental School Theses

Background:Uncertainty is an inherent part of healthcare, particularly in decision-making. Shared decision-making in many Asian contexts faces challenges due to language barriers, religious practices, hierarchical clinical norms, and collectivist approaches to decision-making. Under uncertain conditions, these challenges become even more complex and may be influenced by individuals’ tolerance of uncertainty. Understanding how both patients and dentists of multi-ethnolinguistic groups experience and respond to uncertainty is therefore essential to support context-sensitive, culturally responsive dental decision-making.Aim:To explore how multi-ethnic patients and dentists in Malaysia, with varying levels of uncertainty tolerance, perceive and respond to uncertainty in oral health decision-making, and how they …

Religious Liberty, Public Accommodations, And Non-Discrimination: A Rapidly Emerging Injustice, Gordon Babst

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

The decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., suggested to many that the scope of religious liberty was in a principled, logical way expanded to include free expression rights of corporate entities. It is concerning that many champion the decision as a basis for expanding religious exemptions to non-discrimination law as regards public accommodations, especially since the same reasoning that is being used with respect to the contemporary target of discrimination based in religious belief—American citizens who happen to be in a sexual minority—would apply by analogy, as it once did explicitly, to racial minorities. Unfortunately, given the …

Emotional Balance, Health, And Resilience At The Start Of Covid-19 Pandemic, David Pincus, Bernard P. Ricca, Brooke Jenkins, Julia K. Boehm, Vincent Berardi, Amy C. Moors, David A. Frederick

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Self-organizing systems can shift between stability and flexibility in response to perturbation, a potential adaptive mechanism for understanding biopsychosocial resilience. Inverse Power-Law (IPL) structure, a frequency distribution that describes fractal patterns commonly produced by self-organization, produce measurements of stability and flexibility. This study applies these measures to emotional resilience at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ratings of frequency over the past week (1-5 Likert scale) across 12 emotions (six positive and six negative) gathered in mid-April 2020 as part of a survey of adults’ (N = 4,094) pandemic experiences and health in the USA. The distributions of everyone’s emotion …

Remedios Varo: Peregrinaciones, Julia Condes

Honors Undergraduate Theses

At the time of her death, the artist Remedios Varo (1908–1963) left behind over 500 works of art, the majority of which were created in her adopted country of Mexico. Known for her meticulously crafted fantastical paintings, Varo underwent exile and displacement due to first the Spanish Civil War, and later World War II, which led her to relocate to Mexico, where she would create prolifically for the remainder of her life. This paper will examine the effect of those experiences on the artist and the work she produced, attesting to Varo’s ability to translate complex emotions regarding the human …

The Stigmatization Of Autism – Why It’S Still Present And How It Affects Women And Individuals Assigned Female At Birth (Afab), Emma Drauer

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The intent of this thesis is to explain some key factors (the theory of mind notion and the narrow perception of autism) that contribute to the stigmatization of autism and the impact this has on autistic women. Autistic women are heavily underrepresented, especially in the scholarly discourse, so this thesis collected first person accounts of autistic experiences through a survey and interviews. This data revealed important information such as the benefits of a diagnosis, how stigma can prevent this and have consequences, and the struggles autistic women face. Unmasking these struggles can help make the general public aware of their …

Genomic Epidemiology Of Staphylococcus Aureus Sequence-Type 97, Eva Armao

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a gram-positive bacterial pathogen that colonizes human nasal passages, mucous membranes, or the skin of carriers, with colonization commonly found in 20-30% of healthy people. S. aureus has the potential for two types of infection within human hosts: methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA). These infections can be further classified based on their route of infection, either known as community-associated (CA), healthcare-associated (HA), or healthcare-associated community-onset (HACO). Upon further investigation of infected populations, specific genetic subtypes of S. aureus, known as sequence types (ST), have been identified globally, with some exhibiting increased virulence among …