Digital Commons Network^™

Denise Oliver-Vélez - Part 2, Mark Naison, Steven Payne

Oral Histories

Denise Oliver-Vélez not only has one of the most remarkable lives to be recorded for both the BHS and Bronx African-American History Project archives, she also possesses a beautiful spirit, simplicity, and generosity in her personality. It would be expected for a person of such prowess to sound the part and be hard to comprehend in all her sophistication. Despite deserving this podium, Oliver-Vélez’s life is a testament to the power that lies in understanding others, rather than acting above them. In finishing an exceptional interview, she makes sure to leave a piece of advice to future communities and those …

Dc's Kitchen: A Comprehensive Business Plan, Mark A. Chesson Ii

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

This business plan explores the creation of DC’s Kitchen, a Cajun-cuisine inspired restaurant aiming to provide customers with an experience that combines the Cajun heritage with modern entrepreneurial strategies. DC’s Kitchen is more than just a restaurant; it is a unique place that tells the story of how the Cajun people came to be, and the foods and traditional dishes that underline the significant cultural impacts it has had in the United States. This business aims to merge all of these factors into one, while competing with the highly touted competitive “foodie” market in San Antonio, Texas.

This combines a …

Microplastic Exposure Alters Tubulin Leading To Alterations In Insulin Secretion By Pancreatic Beta Cells, Anakaren Garcia

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose levels due to impaired insulin secretion or diminished cellular response to insulin (resistance). Pancreatic β-cells depend on a well-organized cytoskeleton, particularly microtubules composed of α- and β-tubulin heterodimers, to transport insulin granules to the plasma membrane during glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Disruption of microtubule organization can impair granule trafficking and reduce insulin release. However, emerging environmental toxicants such as microplastics that interfere with β-cell cytoskeletal function remains largely unexplored.

Microplastics (MPs) are small plastic particles (< 5 mm) that have become widespread environmental contaminants and can enter biological systems. Previous studies have shown that MPs can induce cellular stress and protein misfolding, but their effects on microtubules in pancreatic β-cells are not well characterized. This study investigates whether exposure to fluorescent polystyrene microplastics alters microtubule organization and insulin secretion in βTC-6 cells.

βTC-6 cells were treated with 10 µg/mL of fluorescent polystyrene microplastics for …

Predicting, Culturing, And Characterizing Beneficial And Detrimental Strains Associated With Plant Phenotypes., Anastasiia Onyshchenko

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Modern agriculture’s reliance on chemical fertilizers has greatly increased crop yields but has also contributed to soil degradation, environmental pollution, and unsustainable resource use. Plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria offer a sustainable alternative, enhancing plant growth through mechanisms such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, and phytohormone modulation, while also protecting plants against pathogens and abiotic stresses. However, soil microbial communities are highly diverse and structurally complex, making the isolation of individual beneficial strains challenging. Traditional approaches rely on selective media and labor-intensive phenotypic screening, which often capture only a small fraction of soil diversity. To overcome these limitations, we combined …

Value Creation For Target Firms In M&A Transactions, Joshua D. Amaru

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis explores the means by which mergers and acquisitions (M&A) create value for target, or acquired, firms in the transaction. This contradicts the commonly held belief that M&A deals harbor disproportionate benefits for acquiring firms, with the general assumption being that the acquirer gains the most created value from the formed synergies. Seeking to combat this belief, a comprehensive framework for assessing target firm value creation is established, built upon research of corporate strategy concerning market expansion, economies of scale and scope, and enhanced competitive advantage. Most importantly, the formation and valuation of synergies is covered extensively, expanding on …

Understanding The Influence Of Parental Knowledge And Awareness On Conversations About Osec, Trey Gottman

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Current literature suggests that parents’ lack of knowledge and awareness of OSEC may negatively impact their willingness to initiate conversations about the topic with their children, acknowledge warning signs of OSEC, and seek relevant educational sources regarding OSEC. The purpose of this study is to explore parents’ knowledge of OSEC, whether they are currently having conversations about OSEC with their children, and their interest in educational resources about OSEC through convenience sampling with a simple questionnaire. This study finds evidence supporting the idea that, regardless of parents’ knowledge of OSEC, they are having conversations with their children about the topic. …

Maternal Mortality 2025 Report To The Tennessee General Assembly, Tennessee. Department Of Health.

Tennessee Maternal Mortality

No abstract provided.

Lindenwood Digest, December 10, 2025, Lindenwood University

Lindenwood Digest

This edition of the newsletter focuses on end-of-semester updates and upcoming holiday activities as the university concludes the fall term. In "Porter's Post-It," the President reflects on finals week and outlines his upcoming travel to the Department of Education in Washington, D.C..

Key administrative announcements include a call for Computer Science project proposals for Spring 2026 and the introduction of new accountability plans regarding Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for staff and academic administrators. The digest highlights campus events such as the Salvation Army Toy Drive, holiday performances at the Scheidegger Center, and employee wellness "Brown Bag" sessions. Additionally, the newsletter …

From Liahona To Talk: An Inspired Method 2, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

In my previous series, Actionable Insights from the Liahona, I introduced many principles that felt like tightly cut jewels. This time, I'm changing the tempo and delivering those same principles set to a heart-stirring melody. I've set aside the rigid outlining and repackaged the principles with relatable stories and humorous metaphors that I hope will make you chuckle and think, "Oh, I know that feeling!" My wish is that this new approach helps these vital principles to gently drop anchor deep within your heart.

When Knowing Isn’T Enough: Advancing Clinical Judgment In Nursing Education, Rachael Frija

Biennial Convention (CONV)

This session explores how academic programs can strengthen clinical judgment through competency-based assessment and AI-enabled learning tools. Using data from new graduate clinical judgment assessments, participants will discover how HealthStream’s Competency Suite Student Edition supports earlier identification of judgment gaps, personalized development, and smoother transitions from the classroom to practice.

Provider Perspectives Of Produce Prescription Programs In A Rural Community: Evaluating Barriers, Heather Joy Ward, Sarah Giaquinta, Susan Storey

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Poor diet is the leading identifiable cause of poor health.¹ Diets high in produce are recommended to improve chronic diseases.² Food insecurity, the inability to access sufficient food to meet basic needs,³ has higher rates among rural households.⁴ Produce Prescription Programs (PPP) successfully pair access to fruits/vegetables with education by a dietician⁶ for people with chronic disease. Health care providers (HCPs) are well-suited to screen for food insecurity and refer patients to PPPs. However, day-to-day practice demands make this challenging .^7,8 This project examined HCPs perceptions of and barriers to referring patients to PPPs. …

An Integrative Review Of Perceptions Of Mpox Within The Men Who Have Sex With Men Community, Lauren Longacre, Marcia Y. Shade, Elizabeth L. Beam

Biennial Convention (CONV)

As mpox (monkeypox) cases decline worldwide, ongoing global inequities in transmission rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) persist. These inequities are influenced by perception and misinformation, however, research on perceptions of mpox in relation to MSM remains underdeveloped.

The purpose of this integrative review is to synthesize the evidence on perceptions of mpox as it relates to the MSM community.

A database search within CINAHL, APAPsycInfo and MEDLINE was conducted between January, 2022 and June, 2023. Mesh terms included "stigma", “bias”, “perception”, “social”, “attitude” and “monkeypox". Articles were screened to include the interaction between perceptions, MSM, and …

The Use Of Storytelling In Covid-19 Vaccine Promotion: A Scoping Review Of Interventions And Campaigns, Suha Ballout, Sabreen A. Darwish, Patricia J. Kelly, Teresa Keller, Ross Shegog, Basil H. Aboul-Enein

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: The development of the COVID-19 vaccine, a groundbreaking scientific advancement, also fueled vaccine hesitancy mainly due to vaccine misinformation and the limited public understanding of the new technology and its rapid pace of development and deployment. A variety of public health communication strategies have been used that include engaging the community in identifying and developing messages, using culturally appropriate communication methods, applying behavioral health principles, and storytelling. The purpose of this scoping review was to assess the most relevant evidence from the research literature on storytelling interventions to mitigate COVID vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic.

METHODS: A scoping review …

Elementary Teachers’ Use Of Sphero Robots To Teach Computational Thinking, Marquita Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The power of play has often been used in K–5 classrooms, but it has not always been implemented as a way to teach computational thinking skills. The use of educational robots such as Sphero have been explored, but not with young learners. The research problem addressed through this study was the lack of understanding of K–5 teachers’ experiences in using Sphero robots to teach computational thinking. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K-5 teachers’ experiences in implementing Sphero robot activities and specifically to teach computational thinking. The conceptual framework included Magana’s T3 model and Angeli’s computational …

Imposter Phenomenon And Mental Health Among African American College Students: The Role Of Internalized Racial Beliefs, India Montague

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Imposter phenomenon (IP; i.e., feelings of fraudulence) has shown deleterious effects on mental health with high prevalence in African American college students. Literature suggests that internalizing stereotypes could increase the risk of developing IP. However, little research has actually explored whether internalized racial beliefs exacerbate the effects of IP on mental health. This study used hierarchical regression to examine internalized racism (IR; i.e., negative beliefs about one’s race) and colorism beliefs as moderators of the relationship between IP and mental health outcomes in 92 African American college students (Mage= 20.39, 82.6% female) at historically white institutions (HWIs). IP was a …

Actionable Insights From The Liahona 2, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

The original data exceeded 350 pages of Japanese text, resulting in a total of 37 different summarized principle/action plan sets. What is fascinating is that, while a certain amount of conceptual overlap is expected, intriguing new perspectives constantly emerge. Therefore, I highly recommend reviewing all 37 sets repeatedly (only a portion of which is included in this document). You will find countless hints for spiritual growth hidden throughout, often leading to significant breakthroughs.

This 63-page article is filled with treasures. Towards the end, you will also find shorter supplementary articles on techniques such as how to "zoom out" (gain an …

Implicit Weight Bias Among Men In Allied Health Career Fields, Jessica Jensen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This quantitative study observed if there was a difference in the presence of implicit weight bias in men who work in allied health fields versus men not in allied health fields. Age and ethnicity (Hispanic/Non-Hispanic) were also observed in these groups as moderating factors to see if they also had differences in the effects between groups. The purpose of this study was to utilize an electronic weight-implicit association test (W-IAT) to identify any significant differences in the presence of weight bias between the two groups. Implicit weight bias in this population is problematic in that implicit bias, particularly implicit weight …

The Relationship Between Agency Understaffing And Administrative Burdens In Snap And Medicaid, Guangli Zhang, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard

Center for Social Development Research

For families trying to enroll in public programs to meet essential needs like food and health care, speed and timeliness can be critical. But people face numerous barriers in enrolling in these programs and in maintaining eligibility once enrolled. This research brief uses a new measure of staff workloads in public benefit agencies for every U.S. state and examines the link between these workloads and the experience of administrative burdens among low-wage workers. The analyses draw upon data from the Workforce Economic Inclusion and Mobility Survey.

Horse Sense, Jordan Harrell

B.F.A. Practicum Exhibition (ART 498)

Art is a language of connection—between people, animals, and the quiet spaces in between. At its core, this work explores emotional bonds, particularly those shared with horses, offering a visual expression of love, trust, and healing that words often cannot reach. Through oil painting, colored pencil, and mixed media, each piece invites the viewer into a moment of relationship—where grief softens, companionship deepens, and memory lingers.

Influence comes from artists like Peggy Judy, whose painterly style brings emotion forward through bold brushwork and tone. Her ability to convey depth beyond realism continues to shape this body of work. Inspiration also …

Advancing Sustainable Co2 Mitigation: Experimental And Computational Analysis Of Thermal Carbon Chitosan Sorbent For Automotive Exhaust Capture, Dalia A. Ali Dr., Amir Ahmed Elgamal Eng., Rania Rushdy Moussa Dr.

Chemical Engineering

This study investigated the efficiency of thermal carbon chitosan (TCCS) sorbent for CO2 capture from vehicle exhaust emissions within a designed adsorption system. TCCS was synthesized and meticulously characterized using a series of analytical techniques, including Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Ther- mogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), and Differential Scanning Calo- rimetry (DSC). The TCCS adsorbent showed high thermal stability and a heating value (HHV) of 23.5 MJ/kg. Adsorption isotherm study demonstrated that the maximum capacity of CO2 adsorption is 0.084 kg.CO2/kg. TCCS, as well …

Ananda And The World Brotherhood Communities Movement, Prisha Kirby

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Virtuous Mother Or Wanton Woman?: Gendered Rhetoric In Shaker And Anti-Shaker Publications In The Early Republic, Lindy Cummings

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Amish, Melanie Springer Mock

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Being The Change: Food, Nonviolence, And Self-Sufficiency In Contemporary Intentional Communities, A. Whitney Stanford

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Supporting Best Practices In Family Engagement: Our Week Of The Young Child Experience, Michelle Fazio Brunson, Faith S. Birdwell, April Giddens

Spark! Innovations in Early Childhood Education: A Research-to-Practice Journal for Educators

Family engagement is a collaborative process where early childhood professionals, families, and children build positive, goal-oriented relationships. Incorporating family engagement into preschool programs is not merely beneficial but essential for promoting holistic child development in programs where children feel safe, cared for, and secure. In this article, we share the benefits of effective family engagement activities for families with young children and describe how we celebrated the National Association for the Education of Young Children's 2025 Week of the Young Child.

The Analysis Of Ellen White’S Writings Regarding Personal Power As Applied To The Hagberg Model Of Leadership And Power, Stanley E. Patterson

Ellen White Issues Symposium

No abstract provided.

Learning To Love Science: Preservice Elementary Teachers Conceptualizations Of Science Teaching And Self-Efficacy To Teach Science, Christine Mcgrail, Stephanie B. Purington, Alicia Gonzales

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

Teachers’ Thoughts About Using Ai Technologies In Classroom Lessons, Francine Falk-Ross, Peter Mcdermott

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

No abstract provided.

The Consequences Of Fear: How Media Literacy Teachers Adapt To Teaching In An Autocratic Regime, Sait Tuzel

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

While media literacy education experienced significant growth in Turkey during the early part of the decade, since the attempted coup on July 15, 2016, Turkish educators have struggled with uncertainty and social mistrust generated by the disappearance of independent journalism and the arrests of many thousands of educators, judges, and researchers. This longitudinal study of media literacy teachers in Turkey examines the professional challenges that media literacy teachers experienced between 2015 and 2020 as they adapted to increased fear and the risks associated with teaching about media. Unable to use media materials beyond the state-sanctioned textbook, teachers now evaluate the …

Documenting Hiv/Aids Through Rural Voices: Oral Histories As Sites Of Mutual Aid, Siena Kuehn

Feminist & Queer Praxis

This essay is part of the WGSS Capstone class and focuses on utilizing oral histories of HIV/AIDS in Winona as a method of mutual aid. This work includes two contributions to the HIV/AIDS Winona Oral History Project, the interviews with Joan Schwinghammer and Dr. Anne Vande Berg. This research was done in conjunction with Dr. Mary Jo Klinker.