Digital Commons Network^™

Generalized Detection Of Animal Behavior Using Accelerometers, Alexander J. Arrieta

Master's Theses

Animal mounted sensors are becoming increasingly used to passively monitor both domestic and wild animals. Advances in lightweight accelerometer and GPS technology have allowed many animals to be fitted with high accuracy sensors for extended periods of time. This leads to new opportunities to study animal behavior without direct observation. However, interpreting the raw data is difficult due to the high volume and missing context of the information. Machine learning techniques excel at extracting information from raw data streams and are excellent candidates for processing the sensor data. However, due to large variance in how different animals execute the same …

Per- And Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Fate Across California Wastewater Treatment Plants: A Meta-Analysis Of Formation, Distribution, And Persistence, Elizabeth Reineke

Master's Theses

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent contaminants that move through municipal and industrial wastewater systems with limited attenuation. As a result, they are increasingly detected in drinking water supplies. Despite growing regulatory concern, a systems-level understanding of PFAS behavior across multiple treatment facilities and watershed settings remains incomplete. This study compiled influent, effluent, and biosolids datasets from more than one hundred California wastewater treatment plants to evaluate PFAS occurrence, transformation, and partitioning across diverse treatment configurations. Analytical steps included calculating removal efficiencies, assessing precursor-to-product oxidation, evaluating co-contaminant correlations, and grouping facilities by process design to quantify configuration-specific fate patterns. …

Serum Concentrations Of Inflammatory Markers And Selected Nutrient Metabolites In Holstein And Jersey Cows Across The Transition Period, Avery Orr

Master's Theses

The transition period, spanning the weeks surrounding parturition, requires dairy cows to undergo synchronized metabolic, endocrine, and immunological adjustments that support the onset of lactation but also heighten disease susceptibility. Although individual inflammatory or metabolic biomarkers have been extensively studied, the integrated immunometabolic dynamics that occur across this period and the difference between breeds is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to characterize longitudinal patterns in key nutrient metabolites and inflammatory markers in Holstein and Jersey cows and assess how these systems interact across the transition period.

A total of 63 Holstein and Jersey cows were sampled …

Burnout And Compassion Fatigue Within Dispatch, Emily A. Mcfarren

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Continual exposure to trauma coupled with a general lack of

administrative support contributes to greater occupational risk for burnout and

compassion fatigue among first responders, causing many to leave the

profession. As the first line of communication for emergencies, dispatchers,

specifically emergency call takers are no exception. Yet, few studies have

investigated the prevalence and impact of burnout and compassion fatigue on

dispatchers in comparison to other first responders such as police, fire, or

emergency medical services (EMS). This study aimed to extend this line of

inquiry by surveying a stratified random sample of dispatchers working in

California dispatch centers …

Bridging Assessment And Implementation A Toolkit For Improving Quality In Preschool Settings, Virginia M. Roundy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

High-quality early childhood education (ECE) is foundational to children’s development and long-term success, yet ensuring consistent quality across diverse programs remains a persistent challenge. This project examines how assessment data, particularly from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), 2nd Edition, can be transformed from static evaluations into dynamic tools for professional growth. While CLASS observations provide reliable measures of teacher–child interactions, their greatest potential emerges when these data are translated into actionable guidance that informs daily practice.

To bridge the gap between assessment and implementation, this paper presents a comprehensive Assessment Toolkit composed of three integrated components: assessor-written summary reports, …

Untangling Familicide: A Comparison Of Three Definitions, Lesley M. Vega

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Familicide is generally defined as the killing of multiple family members by a relative. However, there is no single, universally accepted definition of familicide, and different studies use varying definitions with different inclusion criteria. Sometimes, very restrictive definitions are used that exclude many similar cases (e.g., father kills spouse and children). Conversely, broader definitions sometimes overlap with other phenomena, such as mass murder. Only a few studies have examined this phenomenon, primarily from an exploratory standpoint.

Case data was collected from the Gun Violence Archive, an online database that records shooting incidents in the United States, for familicidal events that …

School-Based Mental Health Services For Students With Disabilities: Exploring Benefits, Barriers, And The Role Of A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports, Veronica R. S. Meiners Perez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Schools play a significant role in the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional development of children. Students with disabilities have legal rights to all necessary support for their educational success, including mental health supports. School-based mental health and its implementation are a work in progress, facing many barriers, but the benefits speak for themselves. Research suggests that the use of a multi-tiered system of supports ensures equal and equitable interventions for all students, especially students with disabilities. This literature review analyzes 16 studies regarding school-based mental health, special education, students with disabilities, and the MTSS framework. Support students' mental health, regardless of …

Echoes Of Isolation: A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of School Closures On Incarcerated Students’ Academic Achievement, Arthur F. Kimball

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traditionally marginalized male students, mainly Latino and African American, who were incarcerated in three juvenile detention facilities in Riverside County. The study explored the challenges these youth faced in accessing educational support during the pandemic, assessed the academic effects of remote learning, and identified culturally responsive strategies to improve their educational outcomes and help with their reintegration into society. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experiences of incarcerated youth, emphasizing the barriers they faced and the resilience they showed during remote learning. Data were gathered through …

Parental Involvement In Bilingual Language Learning In Early School-Aged Children, Jennifer Y. Arroyo Morales

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This project examines the critical role of parental involvement in supporting bilingual language learning (BLL) among early school-aged children in kindergarten through third grade. Bilingualism offers extensive cognitive, social, cultural, and economic benefits, yet many families face barriers that limit their ability to foster bilingual development at home. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Social Interactionist Theory and Kuhl’s research on sensitive periods of language acquisition, this project developed the Parent Handbook for Supporting Bilingual Language Learning in Early School-Aged Children. The handbook provides parents with accessible, research-based strategies that transform everyday routines into opportunities for bilingual growth. Designed to address barriers such …

2025 Fall Commencement, Tennessee State University

TSU Commencements 2025-Present – Mr. Dwayne Tucker, President

No abstract provided.

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting From Roadways: Challenges, Advances, And Future Directions, Heba Mohamed Gaber, Mohamed Abdel-Raheem

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

As the global demand for renewable energy intensifies, piezoelectric energy harvesting from roadways has emerged as a promising avenue for sustainable power generation. This systematic literature review analyzes 61 peer-reviewed studies to assess the feasibility, performance, and potential of integrating piezoelectric systems into roadway infrastructure. While technology faces challenges, such as high installation costs, limited energy output, and a scarcity of thorough economic evaluations, findings suggest it holds considerable promise as a supplementary renewable energy source. The review analyzes the operational characteristics and efficiencies of various piezoelectric transducers, identifies key factors influencing system performance, and evaluates recent technological advances. It …

Overcoming Title 42 And The 2022-3 Venezuelan Migrant Expulsion Spectacle: A Border Securocracy Case Study, Terence M. Garrett, Arthur Sementelli

School of Political Science, Public Affairs, Legal and Security Studies Faculty Publications

On October 12, 2022, the Biden administration abruptly changed course and announced that Venezuelan refugees would be immediately subject to Title 42—the policy that effectively means that those migrants would be summarily forced to return, or expelled, to Mexico. For FY 2022, Customs and Border Protection apprehended and/or expelled a total of 2,766,582 enforcement actions (CBP FY 2022). The resulting media spectacle illustrates another example of border securocracy—defined as the globalized border industrial apparatus oppressing the masses from the global south. We construct a case study based on Boje's narrative approach to illustrate how guided discussions of Title 42 …

Lifelong Civic Engagement, Logan Fox, Emma Ward, Cal J. Halvorsen

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Civic engagement can be broadly defined as the practice of service (volunteering or informal helping), advocacy, and political participation (voting). Older adults are a large and growing population that frequently engages in these civic activities.

In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that approximately one quarter of the 11 million daily volunteers in the U.S. were age 65 and older. Between 2018 and 2021, there was a 10% increase in volunteer hours filled by individuals over age 65. Research shows this trend will be mutually beneficial, improving the quality of life for older adults who are, in turn, positively …

Rapid Incorporation But Contrasting Stability Of Fertilizer Versus Litter Nitrogen In Mineral-Associated Organic Matter, Emma Bergh

Master's Theses and Capstones

Nitrogen (N) is abundant in agricultural soils during early spring due to both decomposing plant residues and initial fertilizer applications before peak crop uptake. This N is vulnerable to loss through leaching and denitrification, but a portion of this N can become stabilized in mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). However, the short-term incorporation and long-term stability of different N sources within MAOM remain poorly understood. This study examined how fertilizer and litter derived N are incorporated and stabilized in MAOM using a three-week incubation experiment with 15N labeled fertilizer, rye root, and rye shoot additions to paired cropland and grassland soils. …

Potential Predictors Of Nonconductive Wood Column Volumes In Five Maple Species, Tanner Ryan Frost

Master's Theses and Capstones

Maple tapping guidelines rely on the understanding of nonconductive wood column (NWC) formation, but this process has only been studied in sugar maple and may be ineffective at advising producers in their tapping activities due to the variation in wounding between sites and the lack of research into alternative species more recently being brought to market. The goal of this study was to investigate sap sugar concentrations and sap yields as predictors of nonconductive wood column (NWC) volumes in five Acer species: sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), Norway maple (Acer platanoides), and boxelder …

Characterizing Sei Whale (Balaenoptera Borealis) Movement Patterns In The Gulf Of Maine, Emma Vergow

Master's Theses and Capstones

Sei whales are difficult to visually monitor due to their cryptic presence and lack of breaching. Passive acoustic monitoring has the potential to expand knowledge of sei whale movement ecology. The present study characterizes sei whale movement patterns related to migration dynamics in the Gulf of Maine. Five bottom-mounted Acoustic Long-Term Observatory landers, each equipped with a tetrahedral array of omni-directional hydrophones, were deployed throughout the Gulf of Maine as part of the Acoustic and Environmental Observation Network (AEON) in the Northwest Atlantic project. A combination of manual and automated detections was used to assess sei whale daily and seasonal …

Care Starts Before Entering The Clinic – A Holistic Approach To Assessing Primary Care Access At Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Cory E. Hauptman

All Theses

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the world’s largest military treatment facility and the primary provider of healthcare to the military, their families, and military retirees in the Washington DC area. The federal government is legally bound to provide access to primary healthcare services to Tricare enrollees within a 30-minute travel time of their residences. This time constraint has only been applied to the transit period from a patient’s residence to the base where the care is provided and has not accounted for the time it takes a patient to get to the clinic once they arrive at the …

Newsletter 2025.12.01, Fcrh Honors Program

What's Going On, Honors? (2025-26)

No abstract provided.

Ai-Driven Decision-Making In Leadership: Balancing Automation And Human Judgment For Optimal Organizational Performance, Arafat Mohammed, Sulaiman Abdullahi Bambale, Umar Abdullahi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI)-driven decision-making can be effectively balanced with human judgment to enhance organizational performance and ethical leadership. The research adopts a systematic literature review covering studies from 2015 to 2025, retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. Through thematic analysis, the review identifies three core dimensions: (1) the impact of AI on strategic accuracy and operational efficiency, (2) the mediating role of human judgment in fostering innovation and trust, and (3) the influence of ethical AI governance on employee well-being and accountability. The findings reveal that organizations integrating AI’s analytical precision …

Investigating The Similarities And Differences In Cultural Dimensions Between Primary And Secondary School Teachers In Jordan And Turkey, Based On Hofstede's Model, Balqees Almestareehi, Ercan Taşkin

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This study aims to explore the similarities and differences in cultural dimensions between primary and secondary school teachers in Jordan and Turkey, based on Hofstede's model of cultural dimensions. The problem of the study stems from the need to understand and analyze these dimensions among teachers in both countries, to reveal the similarities and differences between them, and to explore their implications for different educational contexts. The research relied on a field survey of a sample of 100 teachers in the Jordanian and Turkish contexts, based on the recommendations of Minkov and Hofstede as preliminary data, in addition to the …

The Effect Of Climate Change Disclosure Under Ifrs-S2 On The Going Concern Of Iraqi Listed Banks, Ahmed Jasim Abd Mohammed, Bushra Najem Al-Mashhadani

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

In recent years, increasing concerns regarding the implications of climate change and associated environmental risks on global financial stability have led both investors and stakeholders to demand more comprehensive disclosures on how economic entities impact the environment and climate. Also, the climate-related risks influence their operational sustainability and future cash flow generation. This study aims to investigate the effect of climate change disclosures according to IFRS-S2 on the going concern status of Iraqi listed banks. The research involves a sample of 30 banks listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange from 2018 to 2023. The study employed an analytical survey method …

Exploring The Role Of Transformation-Oriented Behavioral Accounting In Business Sustainability: A Qualitative Research, Nadia Dakhil Enad

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Behavioral accounting is an interdisciplinary approach that the substantially contributes to financial decision-making by providing analysis of behaviors and guides managers throughout the risks to help organizations achieve their goals. This study examines the impact of transformation-oriented behavioral accounting on business sustainability within Baghdad’s State Company for Textile and Leather. The study employed a qualitative approach and an interpretative phenomenological method. The statistical population consisted of the managers of the Baghdad Textile and Leather Company. From this population, 14 individuals with their knowledge of accounting and behaviorism were selected through purposive sampling. Sampling continued until data saturation was reached. The …

The Effect Of Organizational Culture On Faculty Performance: An Analytical Study Of A Sample Of Lecturers At Some Colleges In The Kurdistan Region Of Iraq, Hoshmand R. Ibrahim

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The research problem of this study is to determine the connection between organizational culture and faculty performance in higher education, specifically, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which consists of the public universities. Using the organizational culture theory and performance management models, the study explores three dimensions of culture, such as cooperation and communication, innovation and development, and appreciation and rewards, and their effects on the performance of the faculty in terms of academics, research, and administration/service. Quantitative approach was adopted through a structured questionnaire that was issued to faculty members working in different fields. The conceptual model of the …

Investigating The Role Of Motivation On The Effectiveness Of Computerized Cognitive Training Among At-Risk Youth, Emely N. Lugo

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Student motivation plays a central role in academic success, influencing persistence, engagement, and performance across grade levels. Within situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT), motivation is shaped by students’ beliefs about their ability to succeed (expectancy), the importance or usefulness they assign to a task (value), the perceived effort or trade-offs involved (cost), and the situational context in which learning occurs. Although the link between motivation and academic performance is well known, there is limited research on how motivational factors, like those proposed by SEVT, influence the extent of cognitive gains from school-based cognitive interventions designed to improve abilities related to academic …

The Spoon Theory & Autoimmune Diseases, Karen Davis Rdh, Bsdh

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

In this article, Karen Davis, RDH, BSDH, uses the Spoon Theory to illustrate how the hidden challenges of living with an autoimmune disease or chronic illness can impact oral health, treatment tolerance and daily hygiene routines. She offers practical strategies for dental teams to better support “Spoonie” patients with compassionate, customized care.

Oral Health Is Still The World’S #1 Disease. Here’S How We Fix That, Kami Hoss Dds

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

Dr. Kami Hoss explores how outdated products, one-size-fits-all routines and microbiome-disrupting ingredients are failing patients, and why a more personalized, science-driven approach is urgently needed. His message is clear: it’s time to reinvent oral care for the 21st century.

Intentional Ai: Preserving Skills, Judgment And Humanity

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

Dr. Amisha Singh explores the rapid rise of AI across dentistry, highlighting both its transformative potential and the ethical, cognitive and professional risks that come with overreliance. She emphasizes the need for intentional use, critical thinking and boundaries that preserve core clinical and human skills. Her reflection offers a roadmap for using AI as an amplifier of expertise rather than a replacement for it.

Not So Firmly Settled: How The Inconsistent Jurisprudence Of The Firm Resettlement Bar Serves As A Tool For Asylum Seeker Exclusion, Caroline V. Garrido

Fordham Law Review

The firm resettlement bar to asylum, designed to limit protections to those without refuge elsewhere, has become a source of inconsistency, confusion, and exclusion in U.S. asylum law. Circuit courts have adopted two different approaches for determining whether an asylum seeker has firmly resettled in a third country. Despite the Board of Immigration Appeals’ attempt to unify these approaches through the introduction of a burden-shifting framework, courts remain divided, and there is no clear guidance on what constitutes firm resettlement. This Note argues that this lack of guidance has led to inconsistent court holdings and interpretations that conflict with the …

A True Fact Should Not Be Controversial: Analyzing The Zauderer Standard And Defining “Uncontroversial”, Edina Hartstein

Fordham Law Review

In Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized an exception to the compelled speech doctrine that allowed the government to regulate commercial speech if it was “purely factual and uncontroversial.” However, the Court failed to define what it meant for a disclosure to be “purely factual” or what it meant to be “uncontroversial.” This lack of clarity led to lower courts inconsistently applying the Zauderer standard. In 2018, the Supreme Court decided National Institute for Family Life & Advocates v. Becerra (NIFLA), which held that the Zauderer standard cannot apply when the disclosure …

Red, White-, And Blue-Collar Crime: Federal Sentencing Practices Among White-Collar And Blue-Collar Offenders, Henna Judge

Fordham Law Review

Under the current federal sentencing regime, district courts exercise immense amounts of discretion when sentencing. Though strict adherence to the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) was once mandatory, courts must now use these Guidelines as an advisory starting point and make a series of fact-specific determinations when sentencing a defendant. Though judicial discretion in this realm aids in preventing undue reliance on Guidelines-range recommendations that can lack nuance, it also invites bias.

In recent years, scholars and courts alike have called attention to a potential disparity in the way blue-collar and white-collar offenders are sentenced. This Note examines relevant …