Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Social Media On Social Inclusion: A Case Study On Gun Violence, Ruolin Xu

Honors Scholar Theses

As TikTok increasingly becomes a primary platform for everyday communication and even an important venue for political communication, concerns have emerged about the potential negative effects of its algorithmic design. Prior research suggests the effect of echo chamber that social media may reinforce users' pre-existing attitudes by repeatedly exposing them to belief-consistent contents and limiting opportunities to encounter diverse viewpoints. Such selective exposure can undermine social inclusion by reducing individuals' openness toward people who hold different backgrounds or political beliefs. Meanwhile, gun control, as one of the most polarizing sociopolitical issues in the US, provides a particularly relevant context for …

Rab32c Mediates Osmoregulation And Calcium Homeoastasis In Dictyostelium Discoideum, Ashley Esparza

Theses and Dissertations

Vesicular trafficking is a fundamental process essential to cell viability and dictates roles in both cellular and tissue function in multicellular organisms. To further understand various vesicular trafficking processes, our lab focuses on the moderators of these processes, Rab GTPases, using the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum. This dissertation focuses explicitly on the uncharacterized protein Rab32C, a homolog of human Rab32. While several Rab family members have been well defined, the functionality of Rab32C remains poorly understood. This project investigated both the subcellular localization and functional role of Rab32C with biochemical, imaging, and molecular assays. Results from this study provide evidence …

Tangible Recommendations To Execute California Assembly Bill 3099: A Proactive Approach To Combatting The Missing And Murdered Indigenous People Crisis, Hannah Marquis

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

Indigenous people across the United States experience disproportionately high rates of violence and relatedly high rates of murders and disappearances. This phenomenon has been coined the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Crisis (MMIP), and as a state with one of the largest Indigenous populations, California also has one of the largest MMIP caseloads. While California has recently taken action towards combatting the MMIP crisis, these have been largely “reactive” steps aimed at bolstering law enforcement responses to already occurring MMIP cases. As it stands, there is a gap in solutions that have a “proactive” focus aimed at lessening the risk …

Compositional Verification In Tla+, John Nguyen

The Crown: Syracuse Honors Research Journal

Formal verification is a subfield of computer science concerned with verifying the correctness of systems using mathematical techniques. It is easy to see from a cursory view that a pro-gram or protocol “does something,” but it is more difficult to see if it “does what you want it to do.” Formal verification allows developers to create a specification of a system that can be automatically verified as satisfying desired properties – formulating “what you want it to do” and proving it. One effective approach of formal verification is inductive invariant inference. An inductive invariant for a property P in a …

Shedding Light On Seasonal Depression: Practical Strategies For Pediatric Care, Mike Smith, Sara R. Gould

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

As daylight fades and winter approaches, pediatricians often see an uptick in mood-related concerns among children and adolescents. In this episode, we explore how to recognize the signs of seasonal depression, differentiate it from other mood disorders, and apply evidence-based interventions. Our expert guest shares practical screening tools, treatment options—including light therapy and behavioral strategies—and tips for partnering with families and schools to support mental health during the darker months. Whether you’re in primary care or a specialty clinic, this conversation offers actionable insights to help you guide patients through seasonal challenges.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Gpu-Accelerated Effective Hamiltonian Calculator, Abhishek Chakraborty, Taylor L. Patti, Brucek Khailany, Andrew N. Jordan, Anima Anandkumar

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Effective Hamiltonian calculations for large quantum systems can be both analytically intractable and numerically expensive using standard techniques. In this manuscript, we present numerical techniques inspired by Nonperturbative Analytical Diagonalization (NPAD) and the Magnus expansion for the efficient calculation of effective Hamiltonians. While these tools are appropriate for a wide array of applications, we here demonstrate their utility for models that can be realized in circuit-QED settings. Our numerical techniques are available as an opensource Python package, qCHeff, which is available on GitHub (https://github.com/ NVlabs/qCHeff) and PyPI (https://pypi.org/ project/qcheff/). We use the CuPy library for GPU-acceleration …

Grantspace Beta: Readiness And Strategic Recommendations, Jason B. Cole

Business Analytics Student Projects and Publications

This paper examines the beta readiness of GrantSpace, an AI-powered grant management platform developed by North Light AI, as it pivots from institutional customers to freelance and independent grant writers. As generative AI tools have commoditized basic writing capabilities, competitive advantage in grant technology increasingly depends on supporting creative flow, reducing professional risk, and enabling policy-compliant workflows. Using market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and UX and data-readiness evaluation, this study assesses whether GrantSpace’s current beta experience aligns with freelance grant writer needs.

Plant Preservation: The Contribution Of Bacteriophage And Transposons To Pathogenic Xanthomonas Evolution, And The Demographic And Reproductive Analysis Of Castilleja Parvula, Ciara A. Green

Theses and Dissertations

Plant preservation, whether through disease research or endemic extinction analyses, plays an important role in the relationship between humans and our surrounding environment. In these analyses, both the role of mobile elements in the evolution of pathogenic Xanthomonas sp. bacteria, and the demographic and reproductive analysis of Castilleja parvula, an imperiled alpine plant, are evaluated. Xanthomonas species are one of the top agricultural threats, and are known to evolve rapidly. Until now, the contributions of mobile elements and particularly bacteriophage have not been thoroughly evaluated. The contribution of these agricultural diseases to food insecurity and the devastation of crops that …

Using It And Accounting Education Pedagogy To Address Smaller Firms' Cybersecurity Concerns, Darlene A. Adkins, William Lyle, Walter Smith

The North American Accounting Studies

This study begins by exploring the cybersecurity activities and practices of small public accounting firms. It also examined how a cross-disciplinary curriculum design could be useful to accounting programs that are challenged to integrate cybersecurity-related content while preserving the core accounting knowledge valued by smaller accounting firms. Through interviews with current practitioners from small and regional firms, the research investigated the extent to which cybersecurity concerns impact their practice, how cybersecurity activities are staffed, and the perceptions of current practitioners on the state of accounting education related to information technology (IT) and cybersecurity. The participants expressed a desire for accounting …

Medical Cannabis Conversation Between Adult Oncology Patients And Provider: The Impact Of Provider Education, Jodi Mcclain

DNP and Student Works

Background: It is estimated up to 40% of adult oncology patients use medical cannabis (MC) for a myriad of symptoms, including not limited to, nausea, pain, appetite, and anxiety. Conversely, less than one-third of oncology health care providers (HCPs) feel confident making cannabis recommendations. Furthermore, studies have shown low disclosure rate and poor communication between oncology patient and provider regarding integrative medicine, which includes cannabis. This study sought to examine the degree of correlation between the desire for information regarding cannabis in the adult oncology population, the level of communication regarding cannabis between patients and providers, and educational efforts to …

Back To Normal? Perspectives Of Faculty And Teaching Librarians On Information Literacy Instruction After The Lockdowns, Catherine Baird, Cara Berg, Anthony C. Joachim, Drew Wallace

University Libraries Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective - While LIS scholars have extensively studied the widespread disruptions to library instruction during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a relative dearth of research concerning the longer-term implications for teaching information literacy (IL). This exploratory survey sought to examine how faculty have introduced IL skills to students before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. After returning to in-person operations in 2021, the authors observed a change in how faculty have engaged with libraries to teach IL to their students. Methods - Utilizing parallel survey instruments, we asked faculty and librarians for their perceptions of current …

The Effects Of Educational Materials On Knowledge And Attitudes Toward Psilocybin, Lindsey Elise Wade

Master's Theses

Depression is one of the most prevalent and burdensome mental health conditions worldwide, affecting millions and contributing to over 700,000 deaths by suicide annually. Nearly half of patients with major depressive disorder fail to respond adequately to standard antidepressant treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has emerged as a promising alternative for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet public understanding of this therapy remains limited. The present study examined whether a brief psychoeducational intervention could affect knowledge and attitudes toward PAT among members of the general public in the United States. Participants were randomly assigned to read …

Opening Brief For Plaintiff-Appellant Emery Barron, Steven Mitchell, Carolyn Sacco, Shaina Sikka, Madeline H. Meth

Faculty Scholarship

By the time Emery Barron sued Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officials in 2021, they had kept him caged for almost six years in solitary confinement without providing a pathway for him to reenter general population. Department of Correction policy calls for officials to review the ongoing need for solitary confinement after an initial ninety-day stint in disciplinary confinement. However, procedural carve outs allow officials to leave people like Barron in solitary indefinitely without an opportunity to be heard by a decisionmaker and without requiring officials to assert any legitimate penological interest behind the confinement.

Under this scheme, which violated both …

Forecast: A Helmet Visor Hud, Qigao Zhong

Theses

High-performance track-day driving requires drivers to maintain situational awareness while operating vehicles at high speeds. During these conditions, drivers must continuously monitor track signals, surrounding vehicles, and changing hazards while maintaining precise vehicle control. Missed or delayed recognition of critical information can increase safety risks and disrupt traffic flow on the racetrack. This thesis explores the design of a helmet-mounted visor head-up display (HUD) intended to support experienced track-day drivers by selectively presenting critical information in real time. The system prioritizes contextually relevant alerts and minimizes visual distraction through a simplified visual hierarchy. Hazards are categorized by severity and communicated …

Understanding The Relationship Between Mental Health And Criminal Justice Involvement: Pathways, Disparities, And Improving System Responses, Haley Bly

Theses

This capstone project examines the complex relationship between mental health and involvement in the criminal justice system, emphasizing how pathways, external conditions, structural inequities, and system responses interact to shape long-term outcomes for persons with mental illness (PwMI). While mental illness alone is not a predictor of criminal behavior, the intersection between psychological disorders, social strain, stigma, and systemic failures significantly heightens the risk of criminal justice involvement. Combining four working papers, this capstone examines these relationships across individual, environmental, institutional, and community levels, ultimately arguing that treatment and rehabilitative-centered reforms are essential for improving the experiences of individuals with …

The Gray Bird Sings: The Extraordinary Life Of Betty Kwan Chinn (Second Edition), Karen M. Price Ph.D.

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

“Touched by childhood tragedy, Betty Chinn brings hope to those who have fallen on hard times. Left homeless as a child in China, Chinn became mute. When she came to America, she found both her voice and her mission: aiding those without shelter on our own shores. ” -Barack Obama, awarding Betty the Presidential Citizens Medal

As a child during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, she was separated from her family, imprisoned, and ruthlessly tortured. As an immigrant to the United States, she worked tirelessly to shelter and feed thousands in her community. How she survived monstrous conditions, challenged impossible odds, …

Teaming With Insects: Entomology For Grades 3-12, Natalie J. Carroll, Christian Y. Oseto, Timothy J. Gibb

Purdue University Press Books

Teaming With Insects: Entomology for Grades 3–12 is written for youth who enjoy learning about and studying science and nature. Insects have been around for millions of years and have evolved and adapted to many different habitats. Adaptations involving their anatomy, physiology, and behavior are what make insects so diverse and interesting. More than 1 million species of insects are known to scientists, and they believe there may be up to 40 million more we have yet to discover. Most people consider insects pests, and some insects do damage to homes, plants, crops, and stored foods. Others harm humans and …

Intervention Outcomes Of A Family-Based Intervention: A Case Review Of An Asian American Adolescent At Clinical High Risk For Psychosis, Monica Elizabeth Done

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Schizophrenia is a lifelong and debilitating condition that occurs in approximately 1% of individuals globally and includes positive, negative, disorganized, and other symptoms that interfere with functioning. The onset typically happens in adolescence, and recently, there has been an emphasis on finding individuals who are at high clinical risk for developing psychosis (CHR-P). Additionally, there has been a focus on creating intervention programs that may treat symptoms in the early phases of illness and decrease the likelihood of developing a schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (SSD). Furthermore, there is limited research on the potential impacts of cultural identity on …

A Competency Based Pressure Injury Management Program, Madina Qadir

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project aims to implement a simulation-based wound management program to address critical gaps in nurses’ competencies for managing pressure injuries (PIs). The initiative seeks to enhance nurses’ knowledge, clinical skills, and confidence in wound assessment and advanced therapies, fostering evidence-based practice and consistent care delivery. Effective PI management is vital for improving patient outcomes, reducing healing times, and minimizing complications. Yet, nursing education and competency gaps often lead to inconsistent care and increased healthcare costs. A structured competency-based pressure injury management (CB PIM) program integrates evidence-based didactic lectures and interactive simulation-based skills stations to cover essential topics, including wound …

“I Can Gossip With Anybody, I Can’T Chisme With Everybody”: Chisme, Gossip, And Identity In Latina-Americans, Alexa B. Romero

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As individuals adjust to their belonging to two distinct cultures, there are various ways of adapting to their navigation of the two cultures (Berry, 1980). The way(s) an individual chooses to adjust to their two cultures can have varying effects on identity. When directly translated, chisme (Spanish) means gossip. Although the two include overlap in function and uses, chisme offers unique purposes for the Latinx community and further, Latina-Americans (González Ybarra & Player 2024; Gutierrez, 2017; Uribe, 2025). By using the communication theory of identity (Hecht, 1993) the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the role of chisme and …

Las Voices: The Impact On Black Young Males In A Critical Mentorship Program In The Las Vegas Valley, Sean C. Tory

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In America, Black young males face an enormous amount of pressure regarding their social and racial identity. They battle with racial macro/microaggressions, stereotypes, racism, and socialization from various industries and systems. The community organization, King of Jewels, has been able to adopt effective strategies to help Black young males navigate these issues through critical mentorship. This paper will first demonstrate the importance of critical mentorship, Black Racial Identity Development, and will then outline the steps necessary to fill the gaps found in mentorship and Black Racial Identity Development literature. This qualitative study investigates the use of critical mentorship (CM) and …

Trauma Beyond Time: Temporal Constructs In Holocaust Testimonies, Sarah Seiselmyer-Snyder

Purdue University Press Books

Trauma Beyond Time: Temporal Constructs in Holocaust Testimonies challenges our understanding of what it means to be a Holocaust survivor, arguing that the term “post-Holocaust” fundamentally misrepresents survivors’ experiences. Through careful analysis of Holocaust literature and testimony, this book reveals how trauma persists across generations, defying conventional historical timelines. For those who perished, there can be no “after” to the Holocaust—their stories were violently ended. Yet for survivors, the Holocaust didn’t simply conclude in 1945. Their experiences demonstrate how trauma continues to shape lives decades later, making “post-Holocaust” a misleading concept that fails to capture their ongoing reality. Using the …

Decisions That Shape Supply Chains, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Michael L. Smith, Erin Robinson

Purdue University Press Books

What drives consumer decisions, and how do those decisions ripple through our food and agricultural systems? In Decisions That Shape Supply Chains, readers are invited to look beyond conventional models of behavior and explore the complex, sometimes counterintuitive factors influencing real-world consumer choices. Drawing on behavioral science and applied research, this volume examines how decisions made in grocery aisles, drive-through lines, and online shopping carts ultimately inform what gets planted, processed, packaged, and promoted across the food-supply chain. From attitudes toward GMO foods to parenting as a form of consumerism and emotional decision-making under stress to the environmental tradeoffs consumers …

Markets We Thought We Knew, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Michael L. Smith, Erin Robinson

Purdue University Press Books

Markets We Thought We Knew explores the evolving nature of markets and how they shape—and are shaped by—consumer behavior. From essential life necessities such as water to everyday commodities and products including locally sourced foods, this book covers a variety of topics and invites readers to examine a diverse range of markets through a reflective lens. By revisiting past market dynamics and real-world examples, readers are encouraged to rethink how preferences are formed, how opinions shift over time, and how value is assigned—sometimes in unexpected ways. What insights might you gather from a deeper understanding of local and global markets, …

Engaging Learners Everywhere: The Interactive Synchronous Hyflex Method, Nathan Mentzer, Abdul Moeed Asad, Adrie A. Koehler, Lakshmy Mohandas, Elnara Mammadova

Purdue University Press Books

Initially conceived as a workaround related to the crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown of 2020, Interactive Synchronous HyFlex reimagines an active-learning, team-based classroom, making it possible for any student to participate fully, whether they are seated in the back row or joining from elsewhere in the world. Developed and refined by the authors through five years of classroom experimentation and National Science Foundation–funded research, this forward-facing approach—which refers to online synchronous hybrid delivery and combines the terms “hybrid” and “flexible”—brings together learners in a single classroom who have the daily option of meeting face-to-face or …

150 Years Of Purdue Engineering: Celebrating Our Consequential Impact On The World, Arvind Raman, Jim Small

Purdue University Press Books

Since its founding 150 years ago, Purdue University’s College of Engineering has profoundly shaped and improved the world, amassing breakthroughs spanning nearly all facets of society. Highlighting the indomitable spirit, ingenuity, and achievements of more than 100 Boilermaker alumni and faculty members, 150 Years of Purdue Engineering describes the program’s journey to become one of the most consequential engineering colleges in the United States. Richly illustrated with archival and contemporary images, this book includes stories that focus on Purdue innovators who have created everything from the barcode and the electronic TV receiver to the soft-serve ice cream machine and artificial …

Soil And Water Education For Grades 3-12, Natalie J. Carroll, Christian Y. Oseto, Timothy J. Gibb

Purdue University Press Books

Soil and Water Education for Grades 3–12 was written for youth who enjoy learning about science and two critical natural resources: soil and water. Level 1 introduces basic terms and concepts, and is intended for youth in grades 3–5. Activities focus on understanding important soil and water processes. Designed for students in grades 6–8, Level 2 offers readers more concrete examples of advanced soil and water concepts. The exercises in Level 3, which is geared toward grades 9–12, are divided into sections based on how readers might use the information they have learned, placing them in the shoes of homeowners, …

From Transparency To Complexity: Enhancing English Reading Skills In Turkmen-Speaking Adults, Mahrijemal Taganova

Education Dissertations

The recent increase in Turkmen immigration to the United States has highlighted

significant challenges these immigrants face due to language barriers, despite their high

educational qualifications and professional backgrounds. This study investigates whether a linguistics-based approach to reading instruction can improve English literacy among Turkmen-speaking adults.

Drawing on a comprehensive review of empirical studies, this paper evaluates the impact

of phonological awareness on reading and listening skills, the role of orthographic knowledge in

decoding and spelling, and the importance of morphological awareness for vocabulary

development and reading comprehension among EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. The analysis reveals that …

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Michelle Obama, Narineh Gevorkian

Honors Scholar Theses

Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, has emerged as a powerful figure in politics, social advocacy, and public service. During her time in the White House, she worked on initiatives in education, health, and military family support while inspiring millions of people worldwide through her authenticity and advocacy. What distinguishes Michelle Obama as a leader is how her influence comes not from authority or hierarchy, but from connection, empathy, and moral purpose. This approach allows her to lead with authenticity, motivate others, and address inequalities within communities. As the first African American First Lady in US …

Cross-Country Differences In Adolescent Dietary Patterns And Body Mass Index: Spain And The United States, Rosa I. Chavez Jimenez

Honors Scholar Theses

In 2019, NCDs accounted for 38.8% of total global deaths in adolescents aged 10-24, and in 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that over 390 million youth were overweight or obese worldwide, highlighting the urgency of addressing poor nutrition and sedentary behaviors early in life. There is an extensive amount of research suggesting that the Mediterranean Diet (MD) is related to lowering NCDs and its risk factors. Thus, the present study explored cross-country differences in dietary patterns and Body Mass Index (BMI) between youth in Spain and the United States (US), two countries with contrasting dietary traditions: the Mediterranean …