Digital Commons Network^™

Human Rights Risks In Clean Energy Supply Chains: Racial Capitalism, Critical Minerals, And Corporate Responsibility, Erika George

Faculty Scholarship

This paper argues that decarbonization will fail to deliver climate justice unless the transition to clean energy confronts the racialized political economy that has historically structured extractive activity and shaped international economic law. Grounding its analysis in racial capitalism, the paper contends that the growing demand for critical minerals risks reproducing patterns of exploitation, expropriation, and expulsion. Using lithium extraction in Chile as a case study, it shows how colonial legacies, dictator-era neoliberal reforms, and present-day regulatory architectures governing foreign investment and natural resource extraction have prioritized investors over human rights and the environment. Recent decisions of the International Court …

Legislative Speech & Decorum, Sean J. Kealy

Faculty Scholarship

Decorum requires legislators to self-limit their free speech rights as citizens; things that may be said and done in the public square would violate legislative decorum rules. In 2023, two legislatures made headlines by using decorum rules to silence young legislators with minority views. In Tennessee, the House expelled two representatives after they walked into the House well and led protestors in the galleries in several chants demanding the House take up gun control legislation. In Montana, the House excluded a representative from the House Floor after she spoke against a bill to forbid minors access to gender affirming care. …

How Not To Democratize Algorithms, Ngozi Okidegbe

Faculty Scholarship

A growing set of jurisdictions has embraced “consultative algorithmic governance,” the idea that community members, particularly racially and otherwise politically marginalized ones, should be involved in the processes by which state institutions procure, construct, implement, and oversee artificially intelligent algorithms employed in public sector decision-making. Consultative processes range from public hearings that provide communities with an opportunity to comment about anticipated algorithmic use to community advisory boards that help public officials evaluate the impact of current or future algorithmic use.

This Article argues that consultative algorithmic governance is critically flawed and then builds upon this critique to point toward a …

Quantum Technologies For Beyond 5g And 6g Networks: Applications, Opportunities, And Challenges, Engin Zeydan, Chamitha De Alwis, Rabia Khan, Yekta Turk, Abdullah Aydeger, Thippa Reddy Gadekallu, Madhusanka Liyanage

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

As the world prepares for the advent of 6G networks, quantum technologies are becoming critical enablers of the next generation of communication systems. This survey paper investigates the convergence of quantum technologies and 6G networks, focusing on their applications, opportunities and challenges. We begin with an examination of the motivations for integrating quantum technologies into 6G, investigating the potential to overcome the limits of classical computing and cryptography. We then highlight key research gaps, particularly in quantum communication, quantum computing integration and security enhancement. A comprehensive overview of quantum technologies relevant to 6G, including quantum communication devices, quantum computing paradigms, …

Analysis Of Cytokine Data In A Case-Control Study Of Me/Cfs, Navya Amaratunga

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study investigated the role of cytokines in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating multi-system disease with unknown etiology. Using data from a case-control study (60 cases, 61 controls) previously collected by Dr. Roxana Moslehi’s lab, serum levels of 48 cytokines were analyzed. Statistical analyses, including T-tests, Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests, and logistic regression (unadjusted and adjusted for medication use), were performed to identify differences between cases and controls.

Results revealed a statistically significant difference in mean Fractalkine levels between cases and controls (p=0.031). Borderline significant differences were also observed for IL-6 (p=0.046) and MIP-1α (p=0.046). Unadjusted logistic regression …

Fabrication Of Functional Microparticles For Biological Analysis, Justin George

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

To better advance our knowledge of cellular behavior, development of an organism, and disease mechanisms understanding cellular heterogeneity in the functional proteome is essential. Bulk measurements across a cell population often fail to capture the variations which exist between individual cells, however single cell proteomic technology has increasingly demonstrated the characterization of cellular heterogeneity. A single cell functional proteomics assay needs to be both high-throughput and multiplexed to effectively identify biomarkers and provide a quantitative correlation to better understand the interrelationships within complex protein networks. Janus particles have the ability to be engineered to have good compatibility and stability in …

Diversity, Genomics And Antimicrobial Resistance Of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus: A Literature Review, Kathleen Okeefe

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Members of the gram-positive bacterial genus Staphylococcus have historically been classified into coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CoPS) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS). This classification is based on the ability of clotting of plasma by the coagulase enzyme, which converts fibrinogen to fibrin. CoNS species are ubiquitous commensals that frequently colonize the skin and mucosal surfaces. They are also opportunistic pathogens implicated in many human and animal infections. The evolutionary history of CoNS has generally been overlooked because of the historical lack of recognition for their clinical importance and poor taxonomic sampling. They are often perceived as being less or non-pathogenic, especially compared to …

The Association Of Hyperhomocysteinemia (Hhcy) With Cancer Risk: An Updated Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Case-Control Studies (2013-2024), Hajar Heidari

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Abstract:

Cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally, influenced by a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and nutritional factors. Among these, the metabolism of homocysteine (HCY), a sulfur-containing amino acid derived from dietary methionine, has attracted growing attention due to its involvement in one-carbon metabolism and its potential link to cancer. Elevated HCY levels, a condition known as hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY), have been shown to disrupt crucial cellular processes such as DNA methylation and promote oxidative stress (OS)—both of which contribute to genomic instability and cancer progression. Disruptions in the folate and methionine cycles, …

The Effects Of Mindfulness On Chronic Pain In Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Sophie Parks

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions have become increasingly popular in recent years. Typically, mindfulness-based interventions and their effects on mental health and/or adult populations have been explored in the literature. Limited research has been completed looking at mindfulness’ impacts on other facets, including chronic pain symptoms. Additionally, some research has been conducted to analyze mindfulness and its effects on school aged children and their day-to-day functioning with promising results. In this systematic literature review, mindfulness interventions and their effects on children and adolescents who experience chronic pain were explored. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was …

Antibody-Induced Multicellular Behaviors Of Salmonella Typhimurium, Samantha K. Lindberg

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Salmonella enterica is a globally distributed bacterial pathogen that is commonly acquired through consumption of contaminated food and water. The enterica subspecies includes over 1500 unique subvariants, or serovars, that are classified by antigen presentation. Due to its global environmental prevalence, broad host range, and increasing pathogenicity, serovar Typhimurium is of particular concern for human and animal health, as well as food safety. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, Salmonella Typhimurium (STm) exploits host immune mechanisms, implements an arsenal of virulence factors, and outcompetes the microbiota to invade the intestinal epithelium. While STm infections are generally self-limiting and relatively mild, emerging …

Symbols Of Sovereignty And How They Speak To Us: Reading Contemporary Wampum Artwork In New York State Museums, Marie Peterson

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Contemporary Haudenosaunee artworks in exhibit spaces across New York State are bringing cultural information and counter-historical narratives to the public that they might not encounter otherwise. Artwork that includes wampum depictions or materials has heuristic qualities that can engage viewers with Haudenosaunee ways of knowing and relating. Wampum heuristics and Haudenosaunee scholarship are employed to interrogate how wampum materials were collected, categorized, and researched by the New York State Museum during the salvage anthropology era. The narratives embedded in wampum artworks are traced from this salvage era history, throughout the century between the salvage era that began at the end …

Weaving A Tapestry Of Community Based Child Trafficking Interventions In High-Trafficking Incidence Areas In Ghana, Crispin Mbamba

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: This dissertation addresses the urgent issue of child trafficking in high-incidence areas of Ghana, where sociocultural, economic, and structural factors sustain and exacerbate this complex social challenge. The rationale for the study is grounded in the need for a holistic understanding of child trafficking beyond traditional justice-based approaches. The research emphasizes the necessity of community-led interventions informed by local cultural norms and protective values that have been largely unexplored in the Ghanaian context. Specifically, this dissertation applies an integrative approach, rooted in the Ubuntu philosophy, to explore community interdependence as a central component of sustainable anti-trafficking interventions.

Methods: …

Cambio De Código Y Fenómenos Léxicos En Tres Generaciones De Hispanohablantes Dominicanos En Nueva Jersey, Rocio Leguisamon Tolentino

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

En Estados Unidos, el contacto prolongado entre el español y el inglés ha generado diversas situaciones de bilingüismo. Sin embargo, históricamente, la comunidad mexicana en el suroeste del país y la comunidad puertorriqueña en el noroeste han sido las más representadas y, por tanto, las más estudiadas (Poplack 1980; Silva-Corvalán 1994; Torres Cacoullos y Travis, 2015; Rodríguez-Ordóñez et al., 2023). Recientemente, las investigaciones sobre el bilingüismo en la comunidad dominicana han ido cobrando más relevancia, debido al rápido incremento de dominicanos en los Estados Unidos. Investigaciones anteriores han propuesto que los dominicanos muestran una alta lealtad al español, y a …

Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …

A Study Of Regulatory Compliance In U.S. Nursing Homes, Patrick Schumacher

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The federal government is responsible for ensuring that nursing homes comply with regulations designed to protect residents from abuse, neglect, and substandard care. To this end, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) partners with states to conduct onsite inspections of nursing homes, during which regulators may identify violations. The agency can take one or more actions in response to violations, including imposing civil money penalties (fines), appointing a state monitor, or mandating remedial education for staff. Despite this regulatory framework, the quality of care in nursing homes remains poor, with many facilities failing to protect the well-being of …

“History Is Within And Around Us:” High School Students Actively Engage The Past In New York City, Alina Lewis

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background/Context: Research on history education in the United States context has focused narrowly on history as a cognitive practice. This body of research assumes that it is difficult for students to “think like historians” (Wineburg, 1999) and is largely focused on advancing a discrete set of historical thinking skills through curricular interventions. Largely ignored in this discourse are the ways in which students engage with the past in out-of-school contexts.

Purpose/Objective: This study examines students’ engagements with history in out-of-school contexts. It is my hope that better understanding and describing how students experience history outside of school spaces will suggest …

Exploring Homeschooling Parents’ Conceptions Of Reading Motivation From A Self-Determination Theoretical Perspective, Harmony Petty

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how homeschooling parents (HPs) conceptualize the role of motivation in early reading development and how these conceptualizations inform how they design and implement their reading instruction. Given the importance of reading motivation for early literacy development, the decline in reading motivation over the early years, the lack of understanding how early literacy instructional practices affect young students’ reading motivation, and the paucity of research regarding home education, the researcher proposed that exploring HPs’ conceptualizations through the use of surveys, interviews, and home observations would allow for the compilation of a …

Towards Human Explainable Digital Forensics: Generating Human Interpretable Evidence For Semantic Understanding In Manipulated Images And Text, Yuwei Chen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Detecting and characterizing manipulations in digital media continues to pose a significant challenge within the field of digital forensics. Despite notable advancements, the discipline often remains in a reactive stance against emerging threats. Current state-of-the-art methods, typically evaluated within academic settings, fails to mirror the complexities of real-world disinformation scenarios. These methods generally prioritize high performance based on quantitative metrics, yet they demonstrate a considerable dependency on training data and lack adaptability to new novel attack signatures. With the rapid evolution of attack methodologies, the dependency on highly accurate models that do not generalize or adapt well to unseen threats …

On The Application Of The Diaconis-Holmes-Neal Sampler To Unimodal Underlying Probabilities, Christopher J. Lange

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Upon the introduction of the Metropolis et. al (1953) [6] algorithm, the question of how many steps in the Markov chain were needed to achieve convergence to stationarity became apparent. Eventually it was found that the convergence was rather slow, i.e. for a process on n states the number of steps needed to achieve convergence to stationarity was found to be on the order of n². [8]

The obvious problem with Metropolis et. al (1953) is that the Markov chain is reversible. [6] In other words, for any state j we can move from j to j + …

The Response Of Tropopause Phenomena To Stratospheric Variability: Rossby Wave Breaking And Tropopause Polar Vortices, Cameron R. Paquette

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Variability in the high-latitude wintertime stratospheric flow, often referred to as the stratospheric polar vortex, can precede anomalous conditions in tropospheric flow on subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) timescales and impact surface weather. The range of stratospheric impacts on tropospheric conditions range from shifts in the North Atlantic storm tracks, formation of cold spells, and development of extreme precipitation. Impacts of stratospheric variability are known to persist for up to 60 days, providing ample windows of opportunity in forecasting on S2S timescales. This dissertation focuses on the stratospheric impacts on tropopause-level processes, such as Rossby wave breaking (RWB) events and tropopause polar vortices …

The Impact Of A Creativity-Focused Course Design On The Development Of Pedagogical Creativity In Preservice Teachers, Joanna M. Weld

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Current preservice teachers have been apprenticed within an educational system that favors standardization which has limited their experiences with creative teaching and learning. The field of teacher education is currently lacking in frameworks to support the creative development of preservice teachers. The aim of this practitioner research, multiple-case study was to examine the impact of a creativity-focused course design on the beliefs of preservice teachers enrolled in a Secondary English Methods course in regards to the nature of creativity, the role of creativity in teaching and learning, their personal creative strengths and weaknesses, and creativity in lesson planning. Data was …

Epitaxial Quantum Dot Scintillators With Monolithic Photodetector Integration: Physics, Fabrication And Characterization Of Materials And Devices, Allan Oreave Minns

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation discloses the physics, fabrication, and characterization of high-performance scintillator detectors based on epitaxial InAs quantum dots (QDs) in GaAs. The detector crystals grown include monolithically integrated In_0.35GaAs photodetectors with Al_0.92-0.6In_0.03-0.35Ga_0.05As metamorphic buffer layers (MBL). A device fabrication process was developed for the lithographic patterning, chemical etching, contact metallization and readout integration of materials grown by means of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on 3-inch GaAs (001) wafers. Low capacitance integration with readout electronics was achieved through wire bonds to custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) with commercial components.

The relationship between device …

Intention-Setting Among Recreational Psychedelic Users: Associated Acute Effects And Changes In Well-Being, Zi Ling Fiona Low

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Psychedelic intentions play an important role in shaping acute psychedelic experiences and influencing long-term outcomes. Limited existing literature suggests that different types of intentions are linked to acute experiences and outcomes in varying ways. However, data on the types of intentions set by recreational users remain scarce, and their effects lack clarity. This study investigates intention-setting practices among recreational psychedelic users, aiming to establish a taxonomy of intentions in naturalistic use contexts and clarify user perspectives on the impact of intention-setting. We also examine how domain-specific intentions correlate with acute psychedelic effects and changes in well-being. Finally, we test a …

Development And Validation Of The Mealtime Behaviors Self-Report Questionnaire, Taylor Rae Perry

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Disturbances in eating are a hallmark feature of eating disorders (EDs). However, these disturbances extend beyond dietary patterns, as clinicians have long observed aberrant mealtime behaviors in individuals with EDs. Despite these observations, research on aberrant mealtime behaviors has been limited to a small case study of individuals with anorexia nervosa. Clinically, however, individuals across all ED diagnoses appear to exhibit these behaviors. Notably, there is currently no existing measure designed to assess aberrant mealtime behaviors. Developing such an assessment could provide clinicians with valuable information to inform mealtime interventions. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the prevalence of …

Integration Of Theoretical Frameworks For Problematic Exercise: Toward A Comprehensive Model Of Maladaptive And Adaptive Exercise, Christina M. Sanzari

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Exercise can promote health and well-being, and yet a proportion of individuals who exercise develop a maladaptive relationship with physical activity. Problematic exercise is often associated with significant impairment and psychological distress, yet a consensus has not been reached regarding how problematic exercise should be conceptualized. The literature distinguishes between primary exercise dependence, or excessive exercise driven by its intrinsic reinforcement, and secondary exercise dependence, or excessive exercise driven by compensatory motivations related to weight and shape concerns. However, to date, little is known about the prevalence and nature of exercise dependence in the absence of eating pathology. This incongruity …

Relational Mechanisms In Residential Eating Disorder Treatment: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Bethany Ah Crawford

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background. Eating Disorders (ED), previously described as a “disease of disconnection,” appear to have differing trajectories of treatment and behavior change based, in part, on feelings of connectedness to others during and outside of treatment. Patient experience of Relational Connectedness is not well-explored in ED treatment compared to other diagnoses but may be a valuable mechanism of change. Interpersonal problems are also known to impact outcome trajectories. Patients high in interpersonal and relational difficulties exhibit negative compensatory behaviors such as avoidance and hostility, which can deleteriously affect building a trusting relationship. Individual difference variables likely play a role in relationship-outcome …

A Structurationally Informed View Of Emergency Medical Services Professionals’ Work-Related Communication And Behaviors While Off Duty, Susan J. Burnett

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Work-life interrelationships and boundaries are common areas of study in communication research. While some scholars maintain that the domains of work and personal lives and their boundaries are static and exist in designated times and spaces, others argue that domains are constructed around situated contexts and through the performance of situated activities that not only produce a time and place for the domain but call upon enactment of an identity appropriate for managing the domain and the boundaries around it. The people who work in emergency medical services (EMS), emergency medical services professionals (EMSPs) face special challenges in managing work-life …

Risk Factors For Executive Functioning Development In Preschool Children With Type 1 Diabetes, Victoria L. Ledsham

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Links between Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and decreased cognitive functioning in children are well documented, but research on executive functioning (EF) in this population is more limited. Multiple T1D-related risk factors (e.g., hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, glycemic variability, diabetic ketoacidosis) for EF have been established throughout the literature, but their individual effects have been difficult to determine given their interrelated nature. In result, cumulative risk has been proposed as a more robust predictor of EF differences in children with T1D. Moreover, despite the importance of early T1D onset as a risk factor for EF impairment, no studies have previously investigated EF in …

Synthesis Of Small Molecules As Therapeutic Candidates, Savia Boyer

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

RNA plays a critical role in many biological functions, such as normal cellular functions or disease-related processes. Regulating biological processes through RNA-based therapeutics can be employed by the reversible photoregulation of oligonucleotides. Azobenzene, a light-responsive compound that changes conformation when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) or visible light, is attached to cytidine phosphoramidite to be incorporated in a series of RNA oligonucleotides. The reversibility of the nucleoside and oligonucleotide is verified through UV melting point experiments. The modified oligonucleotide can change conformation upon light irradiation to stop reverse transcription (RT) in the presence of many different reverse transcriptase enzymes. This technique …

Wide Band Gap Halide Perovskite, Miranda Bristol

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This thesis investigates the composition of alloyed materials required to stabilize cubic halide perovskites, aiming to offer a viable alternative to the commonly used oxides and lead-based perovskite wide band gap materials. This research aimed to identify materials that exhibit comparable or superior optoelectronic properties while minimizing geopolitical risks associated with critical materials. A wide band gap semiconductor, with a band gap larger than 2 eV, allows for more outstanding thermal and voltage stability and can absorb in the UV to the visible spectrum. The perovskite proposed in this study, CsSn_0.975Zn_0.025Cl₃, demonstrates promising potential …