Digital Commons Network^™

Virulence Of Emerging Tick-Borne Pathogens, Borrelia Miyamotoi And Borrelia Mayonii, Dawn Cleveland

Theses and Dissertations

As climate change leads to global expansion of tick habitats, tick borne diseases are becoming more prevalent and widespread, and emerging tickborne pathogens Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia mayonii warrant increased study. Both B. miyamotoi and B. mayonii are vectored by the same tick species as B. burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, with B. miyamotoi causing a relapsing fever-like disease known as Borrelia miyamotoi disease (BMD), and B. mayonii causing a Lyme disease-like illness with atypical clinical presentations. This dissertation has two aims. The first aim encompasses B. miyamotoi infection and growth, isolation of clonal populations, and characterization of …

The Relationship Between Social Determinants Of Health And Maternal Risk Factors With Severe Maternal Morbidity, Rebecca Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) remains a significant public health concern in the United States, with rates rising despite advancements in obstetric care. While extensive research has examined the role of clinical risk factors in SMM, less attention has been given to the influence of social determinants of health (SDOH). Factors such as financial insecurity, food access, housing stability, intimate partner violence, social connectedness, and transportation barriers may contribute to maternal health disparities. This study aims to assess the relationship between SDOH and SMM, evaluating how these non-clinical factors shape maternal health outcomes. Additionally, this research explores the impact of maternal …

Unwritten Rules And Oral Transmission In Architectural Proportion Systems: Case Study Of Bubungan Tinggi House, Huzairin. Muhammad Deddy, Dila Nadya Andini, Rudi Hartono, Anna Oktaviana, Dahliani Dahliani

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

The proportional systems in vernacular architecture often exist without formal written codification, raising questions about their transmission across generations. Bubungan Tinggi House which is a replica of the Banjar Kingdom palace was built by Banjarese merchants and aristocrats from the 16th to the 19th centuries, showing a uniform aesthetic quality, which indicates a regularity in the proportions of its form. However, no historical written manuals detailing these proportions are known to exist. To prove the existence of regularity in the Bubungan Tinggi House proportion system, research was conducted by taking 7 Bubungan Tinggi House samples spread across South Kalimantan province, …

Shifting Seas And Greener Cities: Public Preferences For Climate-Driven Changes In Food Systems And Urban Infrastructure, Natalie Meyer

Open Access Dissertations

Climate change is one of the principal challenges humanity and policymakers face. Climate-related impacts are known to have adverse effects on fish populations (Mills et al., 2013), sustainable urban development (Wamsler et al., 2013; Coutts et al., 2008), and the abundancy and availability of agriculture (Briceño, 2018; Malhi et al., 2021a; Malhi et al., 2021b).

Rising ocean temperatures brought about by climate change (Mills et al., 2013; Klein et al., 2017) are altering fish population abundancy and distribution. As a result, fishing industries may be landing a different composition and volume of fish species at unusual times of the year. …

Characterization Of Methodological Variability In Compound Specific Isotope Analysis Of Amino Acids (Csia-Aa), Audreyana Brown-Nash

Open Access Dissertations

The use of isotopes in the natural sciences stems from the principle that chemical reactions predictably alter the isotopic composition of a given sample. Recent advances in compound specific isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA) have paved the way for studies of increasingly complex ecological relationships, including the identification and characterization of organismal physiology, consumer-resource linkages, biogeochemical cycling, and movement ecology. The analytical power of CSIA-AA has caused an exponential increase in the number of application-based studies since its inception in the 1990s. With the technique constantly evolving to accommodate new research goals, it is important to understand how variation …

Essays On Human Decisions Related To Water Quality Problems In The United States, Sonia M. Refulio Coronado

Open Access Dissertations

Water pollution remains a pervasive and inequitable environmental threat in the United States, with mounting evidence that its burdens - whether in recreational or drinking water contexts - are unevenly distributed across communities. Urbanization, aging infrastructure, and industrial contamination have degraded both coastal waters and drinking water systems, posing serious public health and welfare concerns. At the same time, the extent to which water quality influences behavioral decisions, such as beach recreation or household adoption of water filters, remains poorly understood. Although drinking water pollution is widely ranked as a top environmental concern in national surveys, public knowledge of specific …

Recontextualizing Engagement With Data Visualizations In The Context Of The Socio-Ecological, Eva Thanheiser, Laurie Rubel, Beth Herbel-Eisenmann, Courtney Koestler

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We explore how data visualizations (DVs) are representational tools that can be used to narrate certain aspects of a context but silence others. Using multiple DVs allows for contrasting the DVs and likely provides opportunities for critical reading and exploring the entanglement of political and ecological dimensions of an issue. We start by integrating two sets of practices, Notice, Wonder, Feel, Act and Reimagine (NW-FAR) (Kahn, et al., 2022) and critical graph reading, Framing, Formatting, Narrating (FFN) (Rubel, et al., 2021) towards taking a socio-political stance and supporting students to read data visualizations and develop critical data literacy. We look …

Creative Energies: Unearthing The Role Of Romantic Ecocriticism, Nicole Marie Chambers-Stahl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The literary field of ecocriticism has transcended the boundaries of Academia: excited to connect to their physical environments, many of these scholars are focusing on genres like place-based writing, rhetoric of energy policy, and representations of the Earth in film and media. Interdisciplinary by nature, ecocriticism has demonstrated clear potential in its ability to intersect with concentrations like the history of science, animal studies, and environmental justice.

However, as the language around global crises is heating up —“Today it is scientists, not prophets,” writes Tobias Menely in “‘The Present Obfuscation,’” “who speak the language of apocalypse” (478)—ecocritical scholarship is at …

The People Of The North: Influencer Histories And Miniaturization In Eleventh-Century Italy, Evan Anthony Simonetti

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Norman invasion of Italy in the eleventh century was a process that required political support and legitimacy for its leaders, the Hauteville dynasty. The members of this dynasty either commissioned or financed three individuals as they wrote three respective histories of the Norman conquest in order to accomplish this legitimation. In these sources, each author took inspiration from the classic works of history and poetry of the Greek and Roman world and applied symbolism and direction from their understanding of medieval Christian theology. In addition, these works catalogued examples of events, people, places, animals, and behavior as exotic objects …

New Treaty Law On Autonomous Weapons? An Opportunity To Reframe The Discourse, Laurie R. Blank

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

Calls for a new treaty for autonomous weapons—or for any other new technology—stem from a concern at the most basic level: the concern that LOAC’s existing treaties are not sufficient to fulfill their core purposes of protecting civilians and other vulnerable persons and regulating the conduct of hostilities. Could treaties drafted in 1949—when air power was new and space a distant dream, when the first operational computer ran its first program and navigation relied on the compass and sextant—be sufficient for the complexities and challenges of the electromagnetic spectrum, artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics, machine learning, cyber, anti-satellite weapons, and other …

Teacher Becoming Of Alternatively Licensed Teachers, Erin Summerhays

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the 2023-2024 school year, the Iowa Department of Education listed 21 teaching shortage areas. One way that more teachers can enter Iowa’s classrooms is through alternative licensure pathways. But these alternative programs need students who are willing to pursue the teaching profession, even knowing all of the challenges that today’s teachers face. The purpose of this study was to investigate why people choose to become teachers at a later point in their lives/careers, and to explore the mindsets of alternatively licensed teachers. The theoretical framework for this study includes Bakhtin’s theory on ideological becoming, interanimated discourses (Bakhtin, 1981; Gee, …

A Demographic Description Of Children And Adolescents With Concomitant Autism And Anxiety Along With A Comparison Of Receipt Of Psychological Services, Elizabeth Salt, Amanda T. Wiggins, David N. Toupin, Emma Parks, Chizimuzo Okoli, Mary Kay Rayens

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Objective:(1) Evaluate differences in demographic distributions between those with autism alone and those with autism concomitant with anxiety and (2) assess demographic factors associated with receipt of psychological therapy in patients with autism.Methods:Using deidentified health care claims data, we extracted all encounters among children with the International Classification of Diseases-10-CM for Autism Spectrum Disorder (F84) and flagged those with concomitant anxiety (F41.9). Extracted data included age, sex, race, ethnicity, insurance status, and Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Current procedural terminology codes for psychological services were extracted. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, χ² tests of association, and logistic regression.Results:Demographic differences …

Leveraging Machine Learning Models To Explore Disparities In Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment, And Survival, Reuben Adatorwovor, Rasaq Oladapo, Parisa Ghasemi, Gaurav Kumar, Daniel J. Morton, Motolani E. Ogunsanya, Olufunmilola Abraham

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Prostate cancer (CaP) is the second most common cancer in men globally and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, particularly among older men. In the United States, disparities in incidence, stage at diagnosis, and outcomes persist across racial, socioeconomic, and geographic lines. Men in medically underserved regions like Appalachia experience higher mortality due to limited access to timely screening and treatment. Given the complex interplay of clinical, behavioral, and sociodemographic factors, machine learning (ML) offers promise in identifying survival predictors that traditional models may overlook. This study applies ML models to assess the impact of age at diagnosis, treatment …

Spring 2025 Graduate Portfolio, Alex Billman

Graduate Research Papers

History is more than a mere chronicle of events; it is a dynamic tapestry woven from a multitude of experiences, cultures, and narratives that shape our collective past. My philosophy of history is rooted in the belief that understanding history is essential for comprehending the present and envisioning the future. As a passionate historian with a focus on Iowa's rich and diverse history, I am driven by a commitment to uncovering the stories that have shaped this region and its people. My approach to history is both analytical and empathetic, aiming to bring to light the voices and perspectives that …

Graduate Portfolio, Cody Miller

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Credit Card Fraud Detection., Sonia Ndonga

ICT

This capstone project applies machine learning to detect credit card fraud, addressing a critical financial threat to banks and payment providers. Using an anonymised dataset of 284,807 transactions, which is highly imbalanced with only 0.172% fraudulent cases, three models—Logistic Regression, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting—were developed and evaluated. The pipeline incorporates data preprocessing, feature engineering, hyperparameter tuning, cross-validation, and interpretability analysis using SHAP values, SHAPASH, and permutation importance. Random Forest achieved the highest performance with an ROC AUC of 0.97 and Average Precision of 0.66. The study also considers fairness, threshold optimisation, and practical deployment strategies, providing a robust automated …

Analysis Of Customer Churn In The Banking Sector And Its Mitigating Factors., Fiachra O Callaghan

ICT

This project investigates customer churn within the banking sector, analysing a dataset of 10,000 customers to identify patterns and potential drivers of attrition. By leveraging data analytics and visualization techniques, we aim to understand the demographic and behavioural factors influencing customer decisions to leave for competing banks. The study applies the CRISP-DM framework to structure the analysis, enabling iterative refinement of objectives and hypotheses as insights emerge. Findings indicate that certain customer segments, such as those aged 40–60, are more prone to churn, highlighting opportunities for targeted retention strategies, including fee reductions and tailored loyalty programmes. By integrating academic research …

Exploring The Determinants Of Life Expectancy At Birth: Predicting And Forecasting Global Health Trends Using Statistical, Machine Learning, And Deep Learning Models., Emma Rath

ICT

Accurate life expectancy forecasting is essential for health policy planning, yet research comparing statistical, machine learning, and deep learning approaches under real-world constraints remains limited. This study evaluates ARIMA/ARIMAX, tree-based, and neural network models using Irish and global datasets, considering small samples, missing data, and COVID-19 shocks. ARIMAX with lagged socioeconomic variables outperformed LSTM and other ML/DL methods. Income-based stratification improved predictive accuracy and interpretability, with SHAP analysis highlighting GDP per capita for developed countries and school enrolment and trade indicators for developing contexts. Results provide practical guidance for policymakers and establish limits for model complexity under constrained health data.

Land Rematriation: Utilizing The National Register Of Historic Places And Developing Tribal Homeland Territories For The Restoration Of Historic Landscapes And Sovereignty, Robert E. Hazen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Land rematriation and cultural revitalization are crucial to addressing the ongoing impacts of settler colonialism on Indigenous communities, particularly for the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The National Register of Historic Places and federal recognition processes have traditionally marginalized Indigenous practices and land claims, yet, as I argue in this thesis, they hold potential for reappropriation in support of sovereignty and heritage. This thesis argues that integrating Indigenous methodologies, geospatial research, and archival analyses can forge a path toward effective land rematriation efforts. My findings reveal culturally significant sites connected to the historic village of Getegitigaaning, helping …

The Animated Frontier: Fluctuations Of Power Across Time And Space In Flows Of U.S. And Japanese Animated Media, Kendall Belopavlovich

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This project critiques the historical and contemporary relationships between the U.S., Japan, and marginalized groups through the lens of animation. The U.S. and Japan share a complex history, from the opening of Japan during the Edo period to events like Pearl Harbor and the atomic bombings, which shaped their present-day alliance. Furthermore, the U.S. and Japan are the central nodes in flows of animation, where both nation states have dominated the global market at various points in animation’s history. Today, Japan's soft power in media is significant, and the flow of power between these nations has influenced media forms and …

Energy Equity In India’S Renewable Energy Transition: A Policy Design Agenda, Aritra Chakrabarty

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

India’s transition to renewable energy has prioritized large-scale, grid-based electrification, often overlooking energy equity, particularly in rural communities. Many households would benefit more from decentralized solutions than from grid extension, yet current policies neither guarantee equitable access nor address pre-existing social and economic inequalities in energy distribution. This dissertation examines the sensitivity of India’s renewable energy policies to energy equity, with a specific focus on gender equity in rural last-mile connectivity. The study is guided by the fundamental question: How can implementation of solar energy program alleviate the lives of rural communities? Using a mixed-method approach that combines policy …

Overcoming Obstacles To Equitable Energy Transitions And Promoting Energy Sovereignty For Us Tribal Nations, Don Lee

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation explores the potential of equitable energy transitions guided by the tenets of energy justice with a focus on Tribal energy sovereignty through renewable energy development. It contributes to the literature on the social acceptance of energy systems, public perceptions of renewable energy transitions, the ramifications of US federal Tribal law on Tribal energy development and sovereignty, and the implications of conforming to capitalist logics in the energy justice literature.

To understand the importance of building reciprocal and collaborative relationships, our team of researchers and Tribal members collaborated on the development of a methodology to survey respondents in a …

The Macroalgal Composition Differs Among Depths And Zones In Cuban Mesophotic Coral Reef Ecosystems, Beatriz Martínez-Daranas, M. Dennis Hanisak, Patricia M. González-Sánchez, Stephanie Farrington, John K. Reed

Faculty Scholarship

Previously the algal community of Cuban mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) has not been characterized quantitatively. The objective of this study was to explore the distribution of macroalgae around Cuba and their depth profiles within the mesophotic zone (30−150 m). Data on the algal community were obtained in 2017 during 43 ROV (remotely operated vehicle) dives around Cuba’s shelf. Scientists specializing in algal taxonomy watched the live ROV video on board the ship and recorded algal presence every ~5—10 min in a database. Algae were identified to the lowest possible taxa, and algal presence/absence was analyzed in 20 m depth …

Mercury Concentrations, Health, And Marine Food Consumption Across Four Eastern Caribbean Populations: Insights From A Novel Community-Based Study, Russell Fielding, Catherine Brown, Jessica Dutton, Martin S. Forde, Heather Harewood, Lisa Hunt, Catherine Macdonald, Cameron Mewhirter, Vincent Reid, Madison Smith, Holly Taylor, Katelyn Zimmerman

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Mercury (Hg), as an environmental pollutant, can have harmful effects on human health. A common way that people are exposed to Hg is through seafood consumption. This project was designed to investigate Hg exposure through seafood consumption and its health effects among adults in 4 Caribbean countries: Barbados (n = 117), Grenada (n = 90), St. Lucia (n = 126), and St. Vincent & the Grenadines (n = 77). We applied a novel, community—based method, which involved recruiting and paying local barbers and hairstylists to collect hair samples from their clients who consented to join the project as participants. Participants …

Occupying All Sides Of The Desk: A Feminist Methodological Approach To Teaching, Research, And Mentoring, David Powers Corwin, Siri Lalukota, Angelica Lovelace, Lindsay Lowry

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This article focuses on a curriculum research collaboration among students (high school, undergraduate and graduate) and faculty to create college-level courses that focus on feminist media studies. As a reflection and extension of our work, we tell our polyvocal story of this collaboration while arguing that this work is a feminist methodology that could be used in pedagogical and other academic and public contexts.

No Remedy For Colonization, Sigrid Vendrell Polanco

City University of New York Law Review

The United States purports to maintain a democratic relationship with its inhabited territories, yet the Supreme Court continues to uphold twentieth century laws that affirm rather than abrogate colonial policies. The gap between how the United States idealizes democracy and its real world application, especially in its five colonized territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the United States Virgin Islands, and American Samoa), is not just growing – it is becoming a chasm. These colonies are currently referred to as United States territories. In 2023, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico experienced a controversial sovereignty challenge …

Human Trafficking In Ohio: A Human Rights Violation, Sunny M. Lloyd

Honors Projects

Human trafficking is an overlooked and underestimated issue in the state of Ohio. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office estimates that over 1,000 children are sex trafficked in Ohio every year. Given the severity and prevalence of this issue, the following research project explores the issue of human trafficking in Ohio and discusses five major human rights violations resulting from human trafficking. This project includes details from an interview with a human trafficking survivor who was trafficked for labor and sex over the course of fifteen years in northeast Ohio. To conclude, the project suggests recommendations for the State of Ohio …

Comparative Analyses Of Psychological And Training Characteristics In Judo Competitors And Non-Competitors: Mental Strength, Self-Efficacy, Grit, Resilience, Self-Control, Aggression, Mental Health, And Life Satisfaction, Leandro De Lorenco-Lima, Daniery Rosario, Stacey Gaines

Applied Sport & Performance Psychology | Faculty Scholarship

Judokas competing at the national and Olympic levels rigorously engage in numerous daily and weekly training sessions, potentially influencing the athletes’ mental conditioning. Based on the nature of competition, peak physical and mental conditioning is a prerequisite to achieve the highest place on the podium. This study investigated the differences in training characteristics, mental strength, resilience, grit, self-efficacy, self-control, aggression, life satisfaction, and mental health disorders between judo competitors and non-competitors. A total of 146 judo athletes (77.4% male) from 18 to 45 years of age, representing 60 competitors (41.1%) 86 noncompetitors (58.9%) participated in this study. Judokas answered training-related …

Here, There: Jewish Identities In The South Through The Lens Of Food, Charles George Pappas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the role that place performs in the creation of different Jewish identities in the South through the study of foodways practices. The first chapter provides a historical background of Jewish foodways and an analysis of two Jewish cookbooks and their recipes. These texts act as historical markers of the similarities and differences between varying diasporas across space and time and show how these elements impact Jewish culinary practices. Chapter two is centered around an oral history conducted with Jewish chef Laurence Faber and the places that have shaped his approach to the food served at his Knoxville …

Teaching About The Michigan Pbb Disaster, Jessica Zaker

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

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