Digital Commons Network^™

Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger) Occupancy In A Southern Missouri Woodland, Daniel Garten

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Species occupancy, which relates the probability of presence of a species at a specific place and time, is an important component of conservation and wildlife management. Principally it is used for estimation of a species’ distribution as well as understanding species interactions and quantifying environmental effects. The purpose of this study was to analyze occupancy of the Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) across multiple seasons (2019–2022) at Bull Shoals Field Station (BSFS), and to identify potential covariates associated with detection and colonization. Data were drawn from camera trap surveys from 26 sites during summer and fall seasons. Multi-season occupancy models …

The Underdiagnosis Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders In Women: Recognizing A Spectrum Of Symptoms, Taylor D. Bloomhuff

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have long been viewed as predominantly male diagnoses. Based on foundational studies for these disorders, not only are they more prevalent in male children, but symptom severity is also higher in male children. In attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in particular, it has become a common assumption that hyperactive/impulsive and combined types are ‘male’ ADHD presentations, while the inattentive type corresponds to the few female children who meet diagnostic criteria. However, emerging research looking at the decrease in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder prevalence rates between gender in adulthood suggests that these neurodevelopmental disorders …

Urban Megaregions In The United States: A Gis-Based Approach To Defining A New Regional Geography, Jonas Rugys

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study investigates urban megaregions in the United States. The regional concept is examined from its origins in the geographic tradition as well as its transformation in the twentieth century to its current state. A GIS-based methodology for defining urban megaregions is presented and discussed. The results challenge existing assumptions of population and employment growth in the United States.

Edward J. Kelly Prize In Elder Law, Notre Dame Law School

Student, Faculty, and Staff Awards

The Elder Law Prize is intended to advance the study of elder law and to encourage and assist Notre Dame Law students who may have an interest in this field. This award is given annually to the NDLS student who has written the best essay, article, or legal brief on a topic relating to elder law. Due to a gift from the Retirement Research Foundation on behalf of Mr. Ed Kelly, the winner of the award will receive a monetary prize.

Cultural Roots Of Eating: A Comparative Analysis Of Organic Discourse And Marketing Practices In China And The United States, Zubin (Jane) Guo

Honors Theses

This thesis examines how cultural frameworks influence the development of the organic food market and shape individual attitudes towards the label “organic” in the U.S. and China. While the popularity of organic food has increased in recent years, cognitive and behavioral reactions toward the label “organic” have differed across societies. In the U.S., healthy eating discourse aligns closely with the individualistic culture and atomistic cognitive style, highlighting the importance of salient elements such as specific nutrients or chemical use. In contrast, Chinese healthy eating discourse is based on balance and harmony, which is directly related to traditional Chinese culture of …

Development Of A Python Pipeline For The Inference Of Selection In Human Genomes And Applications To Adh1b*2, Aine Macdermott

Honors Theses

Human evolutionary genomics provides an avenue to understand how genetic variation has been impacted by the environmental pressures of the past, revealing how selective pressures impacted past populations and contributed to present-day biological diversity. In this thesis, I describe the construction of a Python-based computational pipeline designed to automate and integrate multiple analyses of positive selection across worldwide population datasets, including derived allele frequency calculation, haplotype-based tests of selection, RELATE-based genealogical inference, and CLUES2-based temporal modeling. By automating file preparation, format conversion, job submission, result aggregation, model comparison, and visualization, this pipeline streamlines the data interpretation process, and shifts focus …

Maladaptive Shame Coping: The Effects Of Parental Emotion Socialization And Mentalization In The Context Of Maltreatment, Ayelet Raya Malinsky

Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-

Among the self-conscious emotions—such as guilt, shame, and embarrassment—shame has increasingly received attention in the clinical literature for its established link to a range of psychopathological outcomes (Paulo et al., 2020). It is a prominent experience for individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment (Herman, 2012) and plays a central role in the development and maintenance of symptoms related to trauma and personality disorders (Lee et al., 2001). Further, maladaptive coping strategies used to manage shame often exacerbate psychological distress (Martin et al., 2021), highlighting a need to identify factors that contribute to the development of chronic shame and related coping …

Fiber-Reinforced Composites For Vaginal Tissue Engineering Applications, Samyuktha S. Kolluru, Abir Hamdaoui, Annabella M. Mascot, Siobhan S. Sutcliffe, Jerry L. Lowder, Michelle L. Oyen, Samantha G. Zambuto

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The vagina is a fibromuscular tube-shaped organ that plays critical roles in menstruation, pregnancy, and female sexual health. Vaginal tissue constituents, including cells and extracellular matrix components, contribute to tissue structure, function, and prevention of injury and pathology. However, much microstructural function remains unknown, including how the fiber-cell and cell–cell interactions influence macromechanical properties. A deeper understanding of these interactions will provide critical information needed to reduce and prevent vaginal pathologies. Our objective for this work is to design a novel tissue-mimicking biomaterial for vaginal tissue engineering, and characterize its biological and mechanical performance in the vaginal microenvironment. We successfully …

Ovipositional Behavior Of The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres Cingulata) On Stems Of Mockernut Hickory (Carya Tomentosa) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, L. Serviss

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Twig Girdler (Cerambycidae: Oncideres cingulata) is a long-horned beetle that girdles stems of certain species of trees to prepare a habitat for its offspring. The stems eventually die, break, and fall from the tree, but the beetle usually had already laid its eggs within the stems. Eggs are laid singly, almost always at growth rings or leaf bases. Because the space for the young to develop is finite, laying too many eggs could cause reproductive failure and too few eggs would be suboptimal. We hypothesized that the female laying eggs should be able to evaluate the stem and …

Outdoor Recreation And Well-Being: The Effects Of Outdoor Activity From A Positive Psychology Approach, Sophia Watson

Honors Program Theses

Outdoor recreation has been associated with increased well-being in past literature (et al., 2018). This study focuses on well-being from a positive psychology perspective (i.e., flourishing, fulfillment, life satisfaction, etc.). Spending time in nature may increase well-being, due to its sensory properties which reduce stress and rumination (Kaplan, 1995). Physical activity may also be important for well-being due to its health benefits, neurotransmitter release, opportunities for socialization, and increasing self-confidence (Parlakyıldız, 2025). I investigated whether there was correlation between outdoor recreation and well-being and if so, whether it differed depending on the location of the activity and the physical activity …

The Hollow Parent: A Philosophical Capabilities-Based Care Ethics Critique Of The U.S. Foster Care System, Lindsey E. Scanlan

Honors Program Theses

This thesis argues that the U.S. foster care system systematically undermines transition-age youth by failing to secure the capabilities required for genuine independence and a life of basic human dignity, particularly through aging-out policies that terminate support before these capabilities are fully developed. Using Martha Nussbaum’s capabilities approach as a normative foundation, it integrates classical American pragmatism (Jane Addams, John Dewey) and Maurice Hamington's contemporary care ethics to construct a context-sensitive framework for evaluating and reforming foster care. Pragmatism grounds normative assessment in lived experience and institutional context, while care ethics provides a relational account of moral practice structured around …

The Architecture Of U.S. Fascism: Part Ii, Nina Farnia

City University of New York Law Review

In Part I of this series, I argued that the United States has always already been proto-fascist, but that today it is undergoing a transition into formal, de jure fascism. This transition is the result of a change in the class nature of the state itself.

In Part II, I focus on the legal architecture of fascism. I expose rule-of-law liberalism as having paved U.S. fascism’s path. I note the pernicious role of the law in class wars, race wars, gender wars, and global wars, with particular attention on the making of a total state. I then challenge the notion …

“Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?”: Seeking The Place Of Wisdom In Biblical Theology, Daniel J. Hanlon

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies

This article explores the place of biblical wisdom literature within biblical theology, challenging the claim that wisdom resists integration into theological frameworks. Using Klink and Lockett’s taxonomy, it surveys five approaches—historical description, history of redemption, worldview-story, canonical, and theological construction—showing that each successfully incorporates wisdom in distinct ways. Rather than privileging a single method, the article argues for the primacy of inductive study of the biblical text. Close attention to wisdom books reveals key epistemological, ethical, and theological dimensions, which provide a flexible framework for integrating wisdom literature into biblical theology across diverse interpretive approaches.

From Sentiment And Risk To Trade: A Country-Level Study On Geopolitical Trade Effects, Seung Heo

Publications and Research

Can geopolitical risk reshape international trade? I construct directed, monthly measures of bilateral geopolitical risk and its associated sentiment from approximately 5.1 million news articles in the GDELT Event Database, and estimate their effect on trade among eight Asia-Pacific economies at the HS2 product level over 2015--2025, using Poisson pseudo-maximum-likelihood gravity local projections with high-dimensional fixed effects. Pooled across countries, rising risk produces an immediate expansion of trade led by verbal threats and by news tone orthogonal to event content, rather than by material acts, indicating that how a conflict is reported can move trade before the conflict materializes. A …

Identify Bridge Design Guidelines For Wildlife Crossings, Jon Padfield, Kyle Squillace

JTRP Technical Reports

Annual vehicle miles driven in the United States doubled, from 1.6 trillion to 3.2 trillion in the 40 years between 1983 and 2023. Unfortunately, one side effect of the increase in vehicle miles driven has been the prevalence of Animal-Vehicle Collisions (AVCs).

As early as 1975, efforts began in some Western states to create safe animal passages such as the wildlife overpass over I-15 in Beaver, Utah. Wildlife passages increased in popularity from the 1970s through the 1990s, but they were mainly being designed and constructed in the Western United States.

Today, there is increasing and broader interest in safe …

Las Pintas Inverview Project 2026, Beth Gulley, Luzma Alvarez, Lacey Andrews, Damien Duncan, Mariah Garman, Brenda Lofton, Alyssa Roland, Hero Sanner, Asja Thompson, Athena Gonzalez, Lee Martin, Samantha Miller, Lucy Sas

The Las Pintas Collection

Acknowledgements

Dear Reader,

This collection is the result of JCCC students’ efforts to reflect on the college’s decades long relationship with Centro Integral Comunitario (CIC) in Las Pintas, Mexico. Before they left on the trip, each student interviewed someone from JCCC who had traveled with the college to Las Pintas in the past. The first section of this book includes what students learned from their pre-departure interviews.

In the second part of this book, students wrote about what they learned from interviewing people who they met in Las Pintas. While these interviews were conducted in Spanish, the students wrote their …

Juguete, Lilianet Brintrup Hertling

Fiction and Poetry

Lilianet Brintrup Hertling es una poeta de sólida trayectoria y conocida capacidad expresiva. Es también una viajera empecinada, oriunda del sur de Chile que vive ahora en la otra punta del continente, y científica curiosa y sensible. Todo ello se entrelaza delicadamente en su próximo libro Juguete, donde viajamos con los juguetes, sus juguetes, por geografías, por ontologías y muy especialmente por capas de tiempo que marcan, a través de la memoria, el pasaje de la niñez a la adultez, o quizás a la inversa: una visita a la infancia desde el ahora adulto. Los lectores, ubicados también en este …

Ladybug Go!, Lauren Cohn-Sarabia, Mira Eagle

Fiction and Poetry

Ladybug Go! is a story about a little ladybug that gets caught up in a big race. The story is an actual telling of events that occurred for Lauren’s family at the Kinetic Grand Championship Race 20 years ago.

For over 50 years, on Memorial Day weekend, Humboldt County, CA has hosted the Kinetic Grand Championship. It’s the granddaddy of the kinetic races that sees all kinds of crazy bi-peddled contraptions move over land, sand and water. On the first day the completion begins on the Arcata Plaza with all sorts of pageantry as they cross the starting line and …

Deworming For Gi Parasites In Sheep And Goats, Lulani Haslinger

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

This project examined gastrointestinal parasite control in both sheep and goats, focusing on the prevalence and management of barber pole worms. Goats and sheep carry varied parasite loads, with goats being more susceptible due to their grazing habits and lower tolerance. High parasite loads can lead to anemia, reduced growth, lethargy, coma, and sudden death within the herd. These risks highlight the importance of proper deworming methods for both sheep and goats. Strategies researched included pasture management, salvage deworming using the FAMACHA scoring, tactical deworming based off fecal egg counts, and strategic seasonal treatments. Challenges such as drug resistant parasites …

Viral Ecology Of Mid-Atlantic Ridge Vents, Kylie O'Keefe

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Viruses are abundant biological entities that influence microbial population dynamics, evolution, and biogeochemical cycling through infection, cell lysis, and gene transfer. Viruses remain understudied in deep-sea environments characterized by extreme conditions that limit survival to specialized microorganisms. This study investigates viral diversity, distribution, and functional potential at hydrothermal vent ecosystems along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Viral and microbial communities were sampled from three vent sites - Puy des Folles, EMARK, and Hydra - ranging in depth from 1,100 to 4,000 meters. Metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were used to identify viral taxonomy and identify auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) encoded within viral …

Anorexia Nervosa In Epigenetics, Cassandra Pinkowski

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by severe restriction of food intake leading to dangerous underweight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. AN symptoms and their related genes, as well as their transcription, can be explained by Epigenetics. AN is associated with nutrient deficiency, which causes hypermethylation of certain genes that cause common symptoms. Melanin-Concentrating hormone (MCH) binds to receptors in the brain that trigger expression of several genes, including both serotonin and oxytocin. When MCH is low, the genes responsible for appetite lowering, causing an individual to feel less hungry. High serotonin …

Feed The Folk: Soybeans As Snap Inputs, Tymon Childs

Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium

The objective of this study was to explore the possibility of using surplus agricultural commodities as inputs for SNAP or other need-based programs surrounding food access and nutrition. This study specifically explored the possibility of using surplus soybeans based on end stock projections for the year 2025/2026, following the soybean trade conflict between the United States and China. This project details the processing of soybeans from the farm gate to the plate, utilizing pre-existing soybean and food processing infrastructure within the United States.

University Of Richmond Magazine - Spring 2026

University of Richmond Magazine

No abstract provided.

Bulletin 4936: Guidelines To Importing And Keeping Regulated Animals In Western Australia, Win Kirkpatrick

Bulletins 4000 -

Updated:

• January 2026 after a review of permit keeping conditions.
• December 2025 for transfer of restricted keeping bird permit business to DPIRD.

Introduced, exotic or alien animals are species that have been brought to a country or location where they do not occur naturally. (Hereafter referred to as introduced species). Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians that are introduced or relocated to new areas often cause problems to agriculture, the environment and the community. Problems occur when introduced species:

• damage agricultural crops
• displace and compete with native animals and plants
• carry disease or parasites
• damage property
• cause land degradation
• have a …

Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis) Leaf Extract-Mediated Green Synthesis Of Tio2 Nanoparticles And Their Optical Characteristics, Nofrijon Sofyan, Andriayani, Yetria Rilda, Fiona Angellinnov, Mouna M'Rad, Muhammad, Aga Ridhova, Akhmad Herman Yuwono, Donanta Dhaneswara

Baghdad Science Journal

This work aims to explore the characteristics of TiO2 NPs green-synthesized via an environmentally friendly method using oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaf extract as a green medium and capping agent by utilizing titanium tetra isopropoxide (TTIP) as precursor. The oil palm leaves were extracted with different solvent concentration variations. The natural extract was characterized using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and infrared spectroscopy for active chemical contents and functional groups. The obtained TiO2 NPs were also characterized using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the functional groups, ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV-DRS) for the optical characteristics, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the phase …

The Rna-Binding Protein Pumilio Limits Polymodal Noiception In Drosophila Larvae, Sara Palega, Hannah Davenport, Rebeccah K. Stewart, Jessica Horton, Andrew Bellemer

Microbiology & Molecular Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Nociception is the process by which the nervous system detects and processes information about potentially harmful environmental stimuli to generate behavioral and physiological responses. The process of nociception undergoes plasticity in response to injury, inflammation, and infection to shape the sensitivity of nociceptive circuits and the behavioral responses they control. We are increasingly aware that post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression shapes the sensitivity and plasticity of nociceptive sensory neurons and nociceptive behavior. In Drosophila, the Pumilio RNA-binding protein interacts with diverse target mRNAs to regulate their abundance and translation in a wide range of contexts including the establishment of …

Sae For All: Curriculum Guide, Emily Carpenter

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) is a critical component of agricultural education, designed to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. The SAE for All model ensures that every student participates in meaningful experiential learning tailored to their interests and career goals. By integrating SAE into the curriculum, students develop technical skills, career readiness competencies, and an understanding of real-world agricultural applications. This guide includes a teaching plan and a comprehensive set of assignments.

How Parents & Children Talk About Technology Rules, Elisha Seoyoon Bae , '26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Histopathological Effects Of The Intrathecal Chondroitinase Abc Administration In Spinal Cord Injured Rats: A Systematic Review, Mohammad Amin Habibi, Ali Anjomshoa, Mohsen Sadeghi-Naini, Zahra Ghodsi, Samuel Berchi Kankam, Erfan Razavi, Armin Aryannejad, Seyed Mohammad Piri, Akam Ramezani, Rasha Atlasi, Kawthar Mohamed, Sina Shoo, Meysam Kaveh, Akbar Fotouhi, Arman Zeinaddini, James S. Harrop, Alex R. Vaccaro, Michael G. Fehlings, Vafa Rahimi-Movaghar

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Introduction: Chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) has been considered a potential treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI). We aim to identify and evaluate the histopathological effects of intrathecal ChABC administration in SCI rat models.

Methods: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library for studies published from the inception of each database until November 22, 2022.

Results: Of 3857 screened citations, 17 studies met eligibility criteria and were entered into the qualitative analysis. Sixteen studies were of high quality, and one study was of medium quality. The four main rat strains used in studies were Sprague-Dawley, Wistar, Lister hooded, …

Biomarkers Of Foraging And Reproduction In Captive Adult Female Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata), Joslyn Blessing Kent, Kari Renee Dawson, Shingo Fukada, Masae Makabe, Isao Kawazu, Ken Maeda, Roldán A. Valverde

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). To implement best conservation practices for this species, its biology should be well understood. Attempting to characterize the foraging physiology of free-ranging hawksbill sea turtles is complicated by the fact that sampling is typically limited to nesting females during the reproductive season. Without data from non-reproductive periods, it is difficult to determine whether observed physiological values reflect baseline conditions or are specific to the energetically demanding nesting season. Accordingly, in this study, we described the physiology of foraging in …