Digital Commons Network^™

Biocontrol Of Canada Thistle (Cirsium Arvense) With The Rust Fungus, Puccinia Punctiformis In The Intermountain West: Integrated Weed Management Compatibility And Characterization Of Microbiome Associations, Caitlin Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is an invasive weed of major concern in both agricultural and native areas. It competes against native plants, reduces crop production and quality, and causes significant costs in management and damages. Canada thistle can survive and spread through seeds, but primarily does so through its extensive root system, which causes the greatest management difficulties. There are several control methods for this invasive weed, herbicides are perhaps the most common and effective, however, they have limitations and negative consequences. Herbicide use near waterways is restricted and there are growing concerns of the development of herbicide …

The Sexual Objectification Experiences Of Amab Non-Binary People, Lee Rosemary Pradell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The current study combines two narrative-based methods to understand how AMAB non-binary people experience sexual objectification. Sexual objectification is the process of being treated as an object instead of as a whole person while also being sexualized. Individual people can sexually objectify others (i.e., catcalling, asking “What gender are you really?”, repeatedly asking female people about when they’re giving birth); institutions and systems can also objectify people (i.e., listing sex on driver’s licenses instead of gender; providing binary bathrooms, sports teams, and schooling; labeling female reproductive care “women’s health”).

The current study employed a process chart task that guided participants …

The Effects Of Secondary Students Using Metacognitive Strategies On Reading Comprehension Scores, Georgia Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study focuses on researching the use of metacognitive strategies on secondary students reading comprehension scores. Metacognitive strategies are strategies that help students become more aware of their own thought process and learning. The metacognitive strategies used for this study were self-monitoring, self-regulation, self-questioning as well as the use of vocabulary knowledge. The study takes place in an intermountain west charter high school Reading for Pleasure course for students ninth through twelfth grade. All students within the Reading for Pleasure course received specialized reading instruction over a six-week term from the researcher. All students received approximately 360 minuets of specialized …

Examing Fear Conditioning/Extinction And The Role Of The Amygdala In Human Neuroimaging., Olivia Cook

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fear plays a crucial role in survival but can lead to psychological disorders when dysregulated. Fears can be innate due to evolutionary relevance or learned through associative processes, where predictive accuracy of threat is pivotal. Disruptions in fear neurocircuitry contribute to anxiety disorders, characterized by heightened activation and impaired learning. Fear conditioning and extinction paradigms based on classical Pavlovian conditioning have been used to study mechanisms underlying fear learning. Using this experimental model, fear networks in rodents have been described in detail with clear distinction between conditioning and extinction neural functioning. Yet, there is no consensus on the neurobiological processes …

Distinct Clinicogenomic Features And Immunotherapy Associations In Pulmonary Sarcomatoid Carcinoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study, Lingzhi Hong, Alessandro Di Federico, Bolun Liu, Alissa J Cooper, Joao V Alessi, Phoebe Clark, Waree Rinsurongkawong, Chingyi Young, Hui Li, Kang Qin, Muhammad Aminu, Valentina Santo, Yasir Elamin, Boris Sepesi, Jeff Lewis, Don L Gibbons, Ara A Vaporciyan, J Jack Lee, Xiuning Le, Jia Wu, Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri, Mark J Routbort, P Andrew Futreal, John V Heymach, Mark M Awad, Adam J Schoenfeld, Jianjun Zhang, Biagio Ricciuti, Lei Deng, Natalie I Vokes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare NSCLC subtype with poor prognosis. Outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and genomic features in PSC remain underexplored compared with other NSCLC subtypes.

Methods: Patients from three institutions and the National Cancer Database (NCDB) with metastatic NSCLC treated with ICI alone or with chemotherapy were identified. Clinicogenomics and treatment outcomes were compared across PSC, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC).

Results: We analyzed 4841 patients including 165 PSC cases treated with ICI-based therapy from three institutions and 201 PSC from NCDB. In MDACC, 65 (4.3%) were PSC, 1138 (75.1%) …

Artificial Intelligence Biomarker Detects High-Risk Childhood Asthma Subgroup For Respiratory Infections And Exacerbations, Young J Juhn, Chung-Il Wi, Euijung Ryu, Katherine S King, Sunghwan Sohn, Elham Sagheb, Greg Jenkins, David Watson, Miguel A Park, Sergio E Chiarella, Hirohito Kita, Mir Ali, W Charles Huskins, Elizabeth H Ristagno, Imad Absah, Charles Grose, Kathy Ihrke, Elizabeth A Krusemark, Thanai Pongdee, Björn Nordlund, Carla M Davis, Robert J Pignolo, Hongfang Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Asthma is associated with an increased risk of acute respiratory infections (ARI). Little is known about whether natural language processing (NLP)-powered digital biomarkers can identify a high-risk asthma subgroup for ARI during early childhood.

Objective: We assessed whether a digital biomarker could identify a high-risk subgroup of childhood asthma for ARI.

Methods: We applied validated NLP algorithms for Predetermined Asthma Criteria (NLP-PAC) and Asthma Predictive Index (NLP-API) to electronic health records of the 1997-2016 Mayo Clinic Birth Cohort. We categorized the cohort into 4 subgroups: both criteria positive (NLP-PAC+/NLP-API+), PAC positive only (NLP-PAC+), API positive only (NLP-API+), and both …

Implementation Of An Information Sheet For Pediatric Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder In An Inpatient Setting To De-Escalate Aggressive Behaviors And Reduce Seclusion Rates, Megan R. Castro

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Introduction: Research shows that most seclusion events in pediatric psychiatric settings involve pediatric patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A lack of provider expertise contributes to elevated seclusion rates, highlighting the need for evidence-based, ASD-informed care.
Purpose: To reduce seclusion events within a pediatric psychiatric facility in South Texas, by implementing an evidence-based intervention upon admission that could decrease aggressive behaviors and the likelihood of requiring seclusion. Evidence summary: Literature and guidelines underscore the importance of identifying sensory triggers and calming strategies at admission. Collaborative care and personalized interventions, such as a patient information sheet that identifies …

Implementing A Cardiac Catheterization Pre-Procedure Protocol To Decrease Avoidable Same-Day Cancellations, Christina C. Perry

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Background and significance of the problem: Pediatric congenital heart defect patients are amongst the sickest hospital population. These patients require planned palliation in the cardiac catheterization lab (cath lab), which has a limited number of providers and appointments available. In the cath lab, the percentage of avoidable same-day cancellations for interventional procedures was found to be greater than 30%, representing significant resource utilization opportunities.

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a standardized, evidence-based pre-procedure protocol to decrease avoidable same-day cath lab cancellations.

Goals and objectives: The goals of this project were a 10% decrease in …

El Poder Del Bilingüismo Y La Ciencia, Isabella Winslow

World Languages and Cultures

This project is an explanation of the importance of bilingualism, science, and our responsibility as humans within this environment. As living beings on this planet, we have a responsibility to respect and protect it. Over the course of the last several hundred years, we humans have made countless advancements. We have created unimaginable technology and discovered incredible resources produced by the land. However, in the process of doing so, we have damaged and continue to damage our environment. Reefs in the ocean have been bleached by increases in acidity, thousand year old glaciers have melted, forests have been destroyed by …

Leadership With A Counseling Perspective: Exploring The Influence Of Counseling Skills On Elementary Principalship Effectiveness, Julie Thacker

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there are counseling skills that effective elementary school principals possess and to identify those counseling characteristics. The participants consisted of elementary school principals holding membership in the Indiana Association of School Principals. They were asked about school locale, type, administrator gender and race, building level, pre-service training institution, years as an administrator, length of time in current school, counseling licensure, and presence of a licensed school counselor in the school. A total of 201 participants began the survey, and 143 completed it, resulting in a completion rate of 71%. Through exploratory …

“I Found My Place:” Exploring The Counterspace Experiences Of Black Alumni On Historically White College Campuses, Jacquelyn Burns Rucker

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the life experiences of Black alumni and their participation in intentional, multicultural programming of cultural facilities to create a sense of counterspace for Black students on historically White college campuses. The study captured the stories of 12 Black alumni who graduated from seven historically White institutions (HWIs), between the years of 2010 and 2016, across four different states. The 12 study participants completed undergraduate and terminal degrees during the years 2009 - 2016 and identified as Black, African, or bi-racial. The interviews, conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, were conducted on zoom. The theoretical framework of the …

Exploring Teacher Beliefs And Perceptions About Teaching Reading, And Self-Efficacy For Implementing Reading Instructions, Richmond Osei Amakye

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading proficiency among learners at the elementary school level remains a national concern despite several decades of research, investments, and policy reforms aimed at improving literacy outcomes. The Science of Reading (SoR) framework, grounded in decades of interdisciplinary research, emphasizes explicit, systematic, and evidence-based instruction across five core components — phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This study examined elementary teachers’ beliefs about teaching reading, perceptions of the SoR, and self-efficacy in implementing reading instruction. Quantitative data were collected from teachers in west-central Indiana via an online survey that measured their beliefs about teaching reading, perceptions of SoR, self-efficacy …

School Attendance In Southern Illinois: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of Trends And Implications, Mary Beth Goff

Ed.D. Capstone Reports

The purpose of the study was to examine the demographic data reported on the Illinois School Report Card within the four southernmost Regional Offices of Education to determine the rates of chronic absenteeism. Following the identification of chronic absenteeism numbers, this study sought to analyze the relationships between subgroups to determine correlations within data sets. In order to develop an understanding of potential interventions, interviews were conducted with districts that were both successfully addressing absenteeism and those not experiencing success within each of the Regional Offices of Education. The findings of the study aim to contribute insights for educators and …

Evidence Based Project: Japanese Immigrant Elderly Couples In The Midwest, Isabel Anderson

Student Projects

This paper examined the unique needs and challenges of Japanese immigrant elderly couples living in the rural Midwest of the United States through the lens of systemic family therapy. The focus family consisted of an elderly husband showing early signs of dementia and a wife who recognized the necessity of transitioning to independent living. Their adult daughter and son-in-law’s involvement intensified intergenerational tension, as traditional cultural norms granted the husband decision-making authority. The study provided a statistical overview of Japanese immigrant families in the U.S., highlighting aging trends, linguistic barriers, and geographic dispersion. Common psychosocial and systemic issues such as …

“I Was The Only One Who Was Alone:” The Impacts Of Covid-19 Pandemic On International Students In U.S. Higher Education, Lawrence Ejiofo

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students. The study focused on their academic, racial, emotional, psychological stress and trauma experiences. The student participants interpreted these experiences through their lens and backgrounds as international students. They expressed the feelings of desertion and abandonment during the pandemic. The findings showed that the impacts sustained and endured by international students during the COVID-19 pandemic were real, painful, disturbing, and emotional. The image created of the US and other first world countries in the 21st century was very damaging and showed failure of leadership management. It had been more …

First-Hand Perspectives Of Autistic And Neurodiverse Individuals In Social And Extracurricular Settings, Stephen M. Hinkle

Education (PhD) Dissertations

This dissertation explores the firsthand experiences of autistic and neurodiverse individuals in social and extracurricular settings. Grounded in symbolic interactionism and disability studies, this study leveraged qualitative interviews to provide greater insight into the extracurricular lives of autistic persons and the quality of preparation and education provided to said participants to successfully navigate those experiences. Due to the limited number of studies on this topic, and the tendency of programs to focus on general skill development for this population, significant attention was also given to investigating the activity-specific skills needed for various social and extracurricular activities.

Understanding the intricacies in …

Occupation Based Program Development For Indigenous American Populations, Abby P. Glenn

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

Indigenous peoples in the United States face environmental, socioeconomic, and educational disparities that contribute to the high prevalence and disproportionately higher risks of chronic diseases compared to the average American. Recent literature recognizes knowledge gaps among providers in delivering culturally competent care, and occupational therapy’s (OT) emerging role in primary care shows promising potential for addressing barriers in chronic disease management. However, existing studies have not established a clear framework for how therapists can use OT’s client-centered philosophy to help Indigenous populations address health management in primary care. This project addressed the limited literature by piloting a culturally relevant health …

Pathways To Progress: Understanding Gender Gaps Across Life Stages In The Asean Region, Debbie Wong, Jacqueline Cheng, Elizabeth Cassity, Jeaniene Spink, Payal Goundar, Jeffery H. Marshall

International Education Research

The ASEAN region continues to grapple with some of the world’s most pronounced disparities in educational outcomes. Addressing foundational learning gaps and promoting equity and inclusion for girls, women and marginalised groups remains a central priority in both educational improvement and labour market reform agendas regionally and internationally. This report presents new insights into the factors shaping human development outcomes for girls, women and marginalised groups in the ASEAN region. It supports the priorities under the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), which aims to reduce development disparities among ASEAN member states. Grounded in case studies from the newer ASEAN member …

Equity Fund Monthly Report, December 2025, Archway Investment Fund

Archway Investment Fund

No abstract provided.

The In-Between: Poetic Counter-Narratives Reimaging The Canon, Yisheika Lawrence

Dissertations

This qualitative, arts-based study examined how tenth grade students in a rural early college Multicultural Literature course engaged with and reinterpreted canonical texts through poetic counter-narratives. Grounded in culturally responsive pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris & Alim, 2017), and poetic inquiry (Faulkner, 2019), the study explored how students from marginalized backgrounds used poetry to articulate identity, resist erasure, and construct belonging within an academic context that often privileges dominant cultural narratives.

Data sources included 22 student poems, five semi-structured interviews, four end-of-unit reflections, and researcher memos. Analysis used a triangulated approach: qualitative coding in ATLAS.ti, computational text analysis …

Secondary English Language Arts Students’ Perceptions And Attitudes Toward Constructing Multimodal Arguments, Jasenda R. League

Dissertations

The 2025 Georgia English Language Arts standards indicate that teachers will be moving away from a monomodal approach to literacy learning to include students’ construction and evaluation of multimodal texts in grades 9-12. As such, this qualitative case study explored 39 Honors American Literature students' experiences with constructing multimodal arguments. The study sought to understand students’ perceptions and attitudes of creating an argumentative multimodal composition, including their attitudes toward each stage of the composing process: planning, drafting/designing, revising/editing, and publishing. The context was a suburban high school, and the research and data collection took place over 12 weeks. Data types …

Georgia Teachers’ And Leaders’ Perceptions Of Teacher Evaluations, Jessica Okelley

Dissertations

This research is a quantitative, non-experimental study that analyzes teachers’ and leaders’ perceptions of teacher evaluations in Georgia. The goals were to identify similarities and differences in teachers’ and leaders’ perceptions and to determine what factors may contribute to any identified differences. The study was conducted in a high-performing, suburban school district using two similar surveys and Likert scale questions to assess levels of agreement with various statements about the teacher evaluation process. This work was rooted in Self-Determination Theory and Postpositivism.

The study found that teachers and leaders have several common perceptions, like a general disbelief in evaluations’ capacity …

Educators’ Perspectives, Practices, And Implications Of Ai In Education For A Title I Middle School, Melanie N. Garland

Dissertations

This study examines educators’ perspectives, instructional practices, and the perceived implications of artificial intelligence (AI) integration within a Title I school context. As AI technologies become more embedded in educational settings, it is essential to understand how teachers in under resourced environments engage with these tools. The research explores how educators perceive the benefits and challenges of AI, the extent of its integration into their pedagogy, and the broader implications for access, particularly for subgroups such as students with disabilities (SWD) and English language learners (ELLs), as well as student engagement and instructional effectiveness. A qualitative case study methodology was …

Elected Prosecutors And Discretionary Dissonance In The Pursuit Of Racial Justice, Leo Gabriel Tucker

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

How States Decide: The Role Of Judicial Selection In Modern Abortion Jurisprudence, Lesley Bauer

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

Developing Confidence, Developing Skills: The Perceived Effect Of Professional Development On Online Teaching, Michael S. Hill, Cassandra M. D. Hart, Rachel B. Baker, Di Xu, Emily Alonso, Alyssa Nguyen, Kim D'Arcy, Cheryl Bailey, Tim Vannorman, Vivian Nguyen, Jennifer Pakula

Benerd College Faculty Articles

A large body of research has documented weaker student performance in online courses relative to face-to-face courses across multiple outcomes, including grades, course completion, and persistence. These gaps are particularly pronounced for underserved students. In response, colleges and universities have sought to improve the quality of online instruction by providing technology resources, student and faculty technical support, and, the focus of this study, professional development for faculty teaching online. However, despite the increasing popularity of professional development for online instructors, evidence on its effectiveness in shaping faculty practices and confidence remains limited. This study used survey data from 82 faculty …

Exploring Generative Artificial Intelligence (Genai) And Developing Ai Competencies Through Joint Media Engagement In Family Settings, Tolulope Famaye

All Dissertations

As generative AI (GenAI) becomes increasingly prevalent, institutions seek to understand how students can explore AI in classrooms and develop AI literacy. However, little is known about how, families use these Large Language Models (LLMs) at home and how such engagement supports the development of foundational AI literacy skills. This study examines family engagement with generative AI to understand how AI competencies develops outside formal classrooms and to provide insights for designing contextually relevant AI learning experiences in schools. The study employs a single case study design, integrating quantitative analysis, thematic analysis, and quantitative ethnography to examine and analyze data …

Wacsaw: An Adaptive, Statistical Method To Classify Movement Into Sleep And Wakefulness States, Austin Vandegriffe, V. A. Samaranayake, Matthew S. Thimgan

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wearable actimeters can improve our understanding of sleep in the natural environments. Current algorithms may produce inaccuracies in specific individuals and circumstances, such as quiet wakefulness. New hardware allows data collection at higher frequencies enabling sophisticated analytical methods. We have developed a novel statistical algorithm, the Wasserstein Algorithm for Classifying Sleep and Wakefulness (WACSAW), to identify behavioral states from recordings of everyday movement. WACSAW employs optimal transport techniques to identify segments with differing activity variability. Functions characterizing the segments' movement distributions were clustered into two groups using a k-nearest neighbors and labeled as sleep or wake based on their proximity …

Government Learning Visit—Prep Ring Meeting Summary, Ipm South Africa

Dapivirine Vaginal Ring (PrEP Ring)

No abstract provided.

Child Development: A Developmentally Appropriate Practices Approach, Second Edition, D.R. Meece

Open Textbooks

The book follows a topical approach and covers children from prenatal to late childhood/early adolescence. The book follows a Developmentally Appropriate Practices approach, emphasizing that development results from the interaction of age-related expectations, culture and context, and individual child characteristics. The text is written for education majors, as well as others who will work with children and families in a variety of fields, including psychology, social work, nursing, and others.