Digital Commons Network^™

Linked Lives In The Riverbed: Integrating Fish Host Dynamics, Community Structure, And Demography For Freshwater Mussel Conservation., Jonathan Patrick Frommeyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater mussels are long-lived benthic invertebrates that play key roles in nutrient cycling, water filtration, and habitat stability in rivers and streams. Despite their ecological importance, they are among the most imperiled faunal groups in North America, with their persistence increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and disruptions to host–parasite dynamics. This dissertation integrates host ecology, community structure, and demographic modeling to assess population viability and guide conservation priorities for mussel species in Kentucky river systems. The first chapter introduces the ecological context and conservation urgency surrounding freshwater mussels. In particular, emphasizing the need for multi-scale approaches to understand how parasitic …

From Afghanistan To Louisville: Changing Face Of Family And Gender Roles In Afghan Immigrants In Louisville, Kentucky., Zohal Ghoura

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how Afghan immigrant families navigate gender roles and domestic responsibilities following their migration to the United States. Although current research recognizes the impact of migration on gender norms and labor division in immigrant families, the lived experiences of Afghan families in the United States remain largely unexplored. Based on 12 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Afghan women, this study explores how cultural expectations, economic constraints, and social context shape the division of domestic responsibilities. Findings reveal that migration opened new opportunities for Afghan women, including sense of freedom, access to education and employment opportunities. Exposure to egalitarian values …

Queer Convergence: Figurative Abstraction In Contemporary Art., Vincent Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an exhibition text for the exhibition of the same name held in Schneider Hall Galleries from May 15 to August 21st, 2025. This exhibition explores the work of three contemporary artists – Joshua Jenkins, Drew Scanlon, and Lalana Fedorschak – and analyzes their artwork through the lens of Queer Convergence. Queer Convergence is an exploration of abstracted images of bodies and how we can read these bodies through a queer lens, arguing that the visual language of bodily overlap, melding, and transformation shows the physical form as a site of continual change shaped by shared experience and …

A Toi Rna Editing In Three Members Of The Microbotryum Violaceum Fungal Complext And Characterization Of Adar Genes Of Microbotryum Superbum., Shikhi Baruri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A-to-I RNA editing is a process that occurs post-transcriptionally. Through this process, adenosine (A) is replaced by inosine (I) in RNAs by adenosine deaminase enzymes that act on the single-stranded RNA. These enzymes, also known as ADARs, act on RNA. The translation and splicing mechanisms subsequently interpret inosine as guanosine (G), which effectively alters genetic information. This kind of RNA alteration can cause both nonsynonymous and synonymous changes in codon, which may have an impact on protein function. A group of over 89 basidiomycete fungal species known as the Microbotryum violaceum complex infects a similarly large group of plant host …

Intestinal Stromal Cells Play A Critical Role In Protection Mediated By Male Microbiota-Derived Metabolites And Androgens Against Disease In Lupus-Prone Mice., Jing Ma

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease involving broad immune dysregulation. Despite decades of research, most lupus treatments still have limited effectiveness and can cause serious side effects. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to lupus susceptibility, and a better understanding of how environmental factors influence disease could guide future therapeutic strategies. SLE shows a strong female predominance. Growing evidence implicates the gut microbiota and sex hormones as key environmental contributors to some autoimmune diseases, including lupus. The gut microbiota can influence host immune function, and interestingly, recent studies have revealed sex-bias in microbiota composition and function. Moreover, …

Synthetic And Pharmacological Diversity Of Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles., Shramana Ghosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen-containing heterocycles are a foundational class of compounds in organic chemistry, playing critical roles in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and natural products due to their structural diversity and biological relevance. Among them, isoindolinones are notable for their wide range of pharmacological activities. Structurally, isoindolinones possess a benzylic methylene group adjacent to the nitrogen atom, which allows for selective oxidative transformations to yield phthalimide derivatives, well-known intermediates in synthetic, pharmaceutical, and materials chemistry. Although phthalimide is traditionally employed as a protecting group for amines via the Gabriel synthesis, isoindolinone offers a valuable alternative. Through a modified Gabriel-like approach, isoindolinones can serve as more …

The Influence Of Psychological, Biological, And Social Determinants On Disordered Eating Behaviors Among U.S. Young Adults: Evidence From Nhanes 2015-2018., Samantha Kaye Gerbine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) are influenced by biological, social, and psychological factors, yet research often narrowly focuses on White, college-aged women. This study assessed the predictors and prevalence of DEBs in a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults using data from the 2015–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Survey weights were applied to generate national estimates. Descriptive statistics characterized the sample, and logistic regressions tested biological, social, and psychological predictors of DEBs. A composite risk score was developed using variables retained in the final model. The unweighted sample (n = 1,062) represented 64 million U.S. young adults. …

Incarcerated Women: Gendered Rhetoric From The Outside And Reality Inside Prison Walls., Taylor Riley Geiser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how formerly incarcerated women navigate and resist gendered media portrayals through digital platforms, focusing on the “mad” and “bad” woman tropes that shape public perceptions. Drawing on feminist rhetorical theory—particularly Royster and Kirsch’s methodological practices and Ratcliffe’s concept of rhetorical listening—this study combines Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of mainstream headlines with Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) of TikTok content. CDA of media coverage surrounding Lori Vallow Daybell, Casey Anthony, and Andrea Yates reveals how language, imagery, and cultural logics sustain harmful binaries that portray women who commit crimes either as depraved or as excused by madness, obscuring the …

Genes That Matter: Survival Modeling In Tcga-Brca With Treatment Interactions., David Pratt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High-dimensional genomic data offer both promise and challenges for identifying clinically relevant biomarkers. This study developed a parallelized survival modeling pipeline to identify genes associated with overall survival in breast cancer, with a focus on gene-by-treatment interactions and patient heterogeneity. RNA-Seq data from female patients in the TCGA-BRCA cohort were analyzed. Univariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to screen genes, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, treatment status, and cancer stage. A LASSO-penalized Cox regression was fit across 2000 random seeds to assess feature stability. Genes were filtered by expression level, statistical significance, and hazard ratios (effect sizes) in either direction, …

International Legal Guidelines For Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Governance Under The London Convention And London Protocol, Korey Silverman-Roati, Romany M. Webb

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

For the past two decades, parties to the London Convention and Protocol have negotiated rules, decisions, and amendments related to climate change. These efforts have principally focused on two sets of technologies – sub-seabed carbon dioxide storage and marine geoengineering. Initial discussions regarding marine geoengineering focused specifically on ocean fertilization but, more recently, the parties have considered an expanded array of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) approaches, including ocean alkalinity enhancement and ocean sinking of biomass. Throughout these discussions, the parties have invoked legal principles and guidelines, like the precautionary approach, to inform their assessment of how to apply the …

Exploring The Effect Of Social Determinants Of Health (Sdoh) Factors On The Time To Kidney Transplant Evaluation Completion For African American End Stage Renal Disease (Esrd) Patients, Kesha Levesque

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Purpose – The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the relationship between demographics and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) variables on diagnostic testing time completion in patients being evaluated for kidney transplant waitlisting.

Aims - Compared to White Americans, African Americans who are eligible to receive a kidney transplant are less likely to complete the required testing in order to be placed on the kidney transplant waiting list which puts African Americans at risk for morbidity and mortality due to prolonged exposure to dialysis. The COVID-19 pandemic was directly associated with a decrease in the number of patients placed …

The Effects Of Hunger, Starvation, And Famine On Certain Eating Habits: A Cross-Cultural Study, Robert Dirks

Faculty Publications – Sociology and Anthropology

This paper examines the impact of starvation and famine on certain eating habits. These include commensal relations within households, dispositions towards eating with strangers and modes of appetite expression. It tests the proposition that much of the variation seen in these aspects of eating behavior worldwide can be explained by societal experiences with hunger. The study analyzes data from 124 societies and finds significant associations between episodes of food insufficiency and non-inclusive, uncongenial eating practices. This research contributes to the understanding of how food supply and nutritional circumstances shape cultural arrangements and offers insights into the broader implications of food …

Family And School Engagement: Educators’ Behaviors And Practices That Effectively Engage Families To Benefit Historically Underserved K-8 Students, Germaine Smith

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decades of research affirm that family-school partnerships are essential to students’ academic and social-emotional success. Researchers have uncovered barriers, identified solutions, and developed frameworks and models to assist schools in improving their family partnerships. Despite legislation to foster family engagement, schools’ development of parent engagement policies, adoption of proven engagement programs, and investment in training to improve family connections, historically underserved students continue to fall through the cracks. This study aims to identify and quantify the behaviors and practices most effective in engaging families of historically underserved elementary and middle school students. Grounded in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Bronfenbrenner’s …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Sustainable Wastewater Systems - Algae-Based Wastewater Treatment, Harish Lakshmi Srinivasan

All Theses

This thesis studies the integration of an algae-based membrane bioreactor (MBR) and photobioreactor system into a domestic wastewater treatment facility, using the Clemson University WWTP as a reference plant. The proposed system replaces the conventional sequencing batch reactor and aerobic digester with a microalgae-bacteria symbiosis process, coupled with submerged ceramic membranes, an algal photobioreactor and anaerobic digestion for enhanced nutrient and energy recovery, which paves the way for water reuse and increased biological capacity in the future.

The study shows that overall energy consumption is reduced by approximately 18% compared to the existing conventional configuration. Further, methane production from anaerobic …

The Bandages Problem, James E. Marengo, Joseph G. Voelkel, David L. Farnsworth

Articles

A new probability problem, named the Bandages Problem, is described and solved. The problem involves repeatedly selecting and removing an item at random from a finite population that initially consists of a known configuration of single and paired items. For each selection, the probability that the chosen item is single is found. Generalizations are suggested.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Individual Cleaning Steps Of A Cip Protocol In Membrane Biofilm Removal Under Dynamic Conditions, Diwaker Singh, Sanjeev Anand

Dairy Science and Food Science Faculty Publications: 2022 to Present

This study evaluated the effectiveness of individual clean-in-place (CIP) steps in removing biofilms from reverse osmosis (RO) membranes under dynamic flow conditions using the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) biofilm reactor. Biofilms were developed in the laboratory under continuous flow, using mixed-species bacterial isolates obtained from 10-month-old RO membrane biofilms from a commercial facility. Individual CIP chemicals, representative of those used in commercial protocols, were tested against 24 h-old biofilms. Additionally, a complete six-step sequential CIP process was conducted under dynamic conditions, consisting of treatments with alkali, surfactant, acid, enzyme, a secondary surfactant, and sanitizer. All experiments were performed in …

Reopening The Past, Nadia R. Castillo

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

According to the Murder Accountability Project and Federal Bureau of Investigations, “nearly 340,000 homicides and non-negligent manslaughter cases went unsolved in the U.S. from the year of 1965 to 2021 alone” (FBI; 2021). Hidden in the corners of the Justice System are endless cases that go unsolved, untouched or just too long forgotten these crimes carry no answers, no justice, and no closure. For decades, many of these cold cases have been on a shelf collecting dust stalled by the limits of old outdated technology, limited resources, and insufficient evidence. A new era of forensic science is evolving every day, …

Natural Resource Managment Department Roundup, August 2025, Department Of Natural Resource Management

NRM Newsletter

Department Head's Message
Upcoming Events 
Faculty & Staff News
NRM Highlights
Department Activities
Extension & Outreach Activities

Dissecting The Heterogeneous Effects Of Opioid Prescribing Limit Laws On Pediatric Mortality: A Multidimensional And Negative Binomial Modeling Approach, Francine R. Vega

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Opioid prescribing for children and adolescents continues to be a significant health crisis in the United States. Early naïve exposure to opioid prescriptions has been linked to later misuse, opioid use disorder, and death. In response to the crisis, many states have implemented opioid prescribing limit laws (OPLLs) aimed at reducing exposure to opioids. These laws vary widely in their approach, including differences in dosage restrictions, prescription duration limits, informed consent requirements, educational provisions, and whether they offer explicit protections specifically for minors. Despite their widespread adoption, there is limited understanding of how heterogeneity in legal regulations affects outcomes for …

Formosan Subterranean Termites Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki (Blattodea: Heterotermitidae): An Underreported Threat To Commercial Shrimp Boats In The Midsouth, Usa, J. S. Portugal Iii

Midsouth Entomologist

No abstract provided.

Predicting Global Intraspecific Trait Variation Of Grasses, Robert J. Griffin-Nolan, Maria S. Vorontsova, Brody Sandel

Biology

Plant traits are important for understanding community assembly and ecosystem processes, yet our understanding of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is limited. This gap in our knowledge is partially because collecting trait data across a species' entire range is impractical, let alone across the ranges of multiple species within a plant family. Using machine learning techniques to predict spatial ITV is an attractive and cost-effective alternative to sampling across a species range, although this has not been applied beyond regional scales. We compiled a trait database of over 1000 grass species (family: Poaceae), encompassing six key functional traits: specific leaf area …

How Do Acoustic Indices Serve As Proxy Of Temperate Forests And In Relation To Presence Of Bobcat (Lynx Rufus) In Central Indiana Habitats, Faith Mcphee, Kristen Bellisario Dr.

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Central Indiana is largely dominated by agriculture which has led to numerous historical extirpations of mammals. The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is slowly re-establishing across northern Indiana after near extirpation in the early 1900s and utilizes corridors similar to extirpated mammals. Bobcats as a focal species can serve as an indicator for habitat quality for future designated wildlife corridors. New metrics have emerged from species monitoring through remote sensing technologies such as eco-acoustic indices which summarize sound profiles, are a potential proxy for biodiversity, and could be utilized in monitoring large mammals. Here, we investigate the relationship between Lynx …

Classification And Analysis Of Families Of Graphs With Focus On Nordhaus-Gaddum Bounds, Sibi Pranav Muthuprakash

Theses and Dissertations

Nordhaus-Gaddum type problems focus on bounding characteristics of graph and its complement. There are certain families of graphs which yield optimal upper bounds on various Nordhaus-Gaddum characteristics of graph. In this paper, we will talk about bounding combinatorial algebraic connectivity, normalized algebraic connectivity, the Cheeger constant, and the isoperimetric number of a graph and its complement. We will identify some optimal or near optimal families of graphs and conduct an analysis on these families that will help to bound these characteristics. We will also prove and conjecture some bounds that can help in formulating stronger bounds on these characteristics of …

Understanding Administrator Approaches To Trauma-Informed Care: Findings From A Mixed Methods Study, Megan Coalwell

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic events during childhood have been termed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Experiencing traumatic events or ACEs is common for school-aged children. Research reports indicate that as many as two out of three children will experience at least one traumatic event by the time they are eighteen. The negative effects of experiencing trauma are well documented. Trauma can lead to long-term outcomes in adults such as chronic health problems, mental health problems, substance misuse, and even early death. During childhood, it can lead to internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as difficulties in school. Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach to …

An Active Quasi-Circulator Ic And Technique For 1-255 Mhz Resonance-Based Spectroscopic Impedance Plethysmography, Sharisse Poff

Theses and Dissertations

Impedance measurement is a promising avenue for noninvasive glucosemonitoring. Specifically,resonance-basedimpedancemeasurements exhibit good correlation with glucose levels at excitations from tens of MHztoover 100 MHz. Additionally, plethysmographic impedance measurements are needed to separate arterial blood signals, which contain strongerglucose information, frominterstitialfluidsignals. Weanticipate that plethysmographic measurements across a range of frequencies— spectroscopic plethysmography—at excitations from tens to over 100 MHz could enable resonance-based monitoring with higher selectivity for arterial glucose than previous work. Afour-point impedance measurement circuit is designed, and its ability to measure constant and periodically time-varying impedance is demonstrated. This circuit presents high impedance to the device-undertest (DUT), which fails …

Modeling Copper Biogeochemistry In Continental Environments: 0 – 93 °C, Paul Goldsborough Helfrich

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Microbiomes are intertwined with copper chemistry through both toxin and trace nutrient interactions. We produced and examined nineteen metagenomes from a creek recovering from historic copper mining to investigate how anthropogenic contamination shapes microbial community structure and functional potential. We then incorporated the metagenomic profiles and concurrently collected geochemical context into multivariate models to examine correlations between habitat geochemistry and microbial ecology. Residual copper and wastewater inputs alter stream habitability across seasonal gradients. We complimented initial analyses with new insights from high temperature environments. Combined dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), temperature, pH, and silica stress constrain photosynthesis in hydrothermal features. Geochemical …

Strategies For Early Learners, Second Edition, D.R. Meece

Open Textbooks

Welcome to learning about how to effectively plan curriculum for young children. This textbook will address: Developing curriculum through the planning cycle Theories that inform what we know about how children learn and the best ways for teachers to support learning The three components of developmentally appropriate practice Importance and value of play and intentional teaching Different models of curriculum Process of lesson planning (documenting planned experiences for children) Physical, temporal, and social environments that set the stage for children’s learning Appropriate guidance techniques to support children’s behaviors as the self-regulation abilities mature. Planning for preschool-aged children in specific domains …

The Molecular And Behavioral Characterization Of The Murine Cre – Loxp Skeletal Muscle Synthesized Bdnf Knockout Model, Asha E. Rustad

All NMU Master's Theses

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin essential for supporting the growth, differentiation, and health of neurons within the central and peripheral nervous systems. BDNF is also a member of the myokine family, where muscle synthesized-BDNF (msBDNF) is thought to facilitate the crucial bi-directional communication between the motor neuron and the muscle fibers it innervates. Since 2008, the Ottem Laboratory has investigated the role of msBDNF by employing Cre/LoxP recombinase technology to selectively delete the BDNF coding region within skeletal muscle of mice. This approach generates animals with either heterozygous or homozygous deletions of msBDNF, as well as BDNF …

Patterns And Continuity: Documenting African American History In Carbon County, Utah, And The Roots Of Racial Terror Lynchings In American Society, Michael L. B. Forvil

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the history of African Americans in Carbon County, Utah, through the lens of racial terror lynching, community memory, and migration. Anchored in the story of Robert Marshall, a Black man lynched in Price, Utah, in 1925, the project considers how racial violence reached beyond the American South and how such acts have been neglected in public memory. Drawing on family history research, census records, historical newspapers, and the work of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), this work contextualizes Marshall’s death within broader patterns of racial terror lynchings that shaped African American migration from the South during the …

August 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter, Minnesota State University, Mankato. Library & Learning Dean’S Office Communications Team

Library & Learning Newsletters

PDF version of the August 2025 (Volume 4, Issue 1) Library & Learning Newsletter.