Digital Commons Network^™

Guidelines For Enhancing Voter Accessibility, Anna Barrows

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Political Media Hesitancy And Avoidance In College Students, Taylor Mandile

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Below The Rows, Beyond The Roots: An Art Exhibition Depicting Agriculture Across The Globe, Maggie Enoch

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Below the Rows, Beyond the Roots, artist Maggie Enoch creates multimedia works inspired by her exposure to diverse agricultural systems and perspectives while studying geography and sustainable agriculture/food systems around the world. By integrating complex histories with the contemporary realities of farming, Maggie paints vivid pictures of the power of food in this five-piece exhibition.

Examining The Effectiveness Of Housing First Models On Transitional-Aged Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematized Review, Cadyn Golisano

Honors Theses and Capstones

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to examine the outcomes of Housing First (HF) programs or models for transitional-age youth (TAY) experiencing homelessness. Specifically, this review aims to synthesize existing evidence on how Housing First influences housing stability and over-all wellbeing for young adults ages 18-25. By evaluating the effectiveness of these programs within this specific population, the review seeks to identify key benefits, limitations, and gaps in the current literature to inform future practice, policy, and research. The following research question was utilized to guide this paper: How do Housing First principals and interventions impact housing stability …

Assessment Of The Influence Of Human Activities On The Occurrence Of Forest Fires In Thailand Via Multiple Linear Regression (Mlr), Sittipong Ruktamatakul, Jirarat Insuk, Benjaporn Pinwongpet, Sarisa Ruktametakul, Pornpis Yimprayoon

Applied Environmental Research

Forest fires represent one of the most critical environmental challenges in Thailand, with impacts varying depending on forest type, fuel characteristics, terrain conditions, fire intensity, and the frequency of fire occurrence on the same landscape. While forest fires can contribute to ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and the depletion of natural resources, such effects are not uniformly severe across all forest ecosystems. Understanding the human-induced factors contributing to forest fire occurrence is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies and promoting sustainable forest management. This study aimed to identify the anthropogenic factors influencing forest fire areas in Thailand via multiple linear regression …

Spatial Modeling Of Natural Disaster Risk By Integrating Hazard, Vulnerability, And Exposure Factors Using Geospatial Techniques : Evidence From Mueang Tak District, Thailand, Suphatphong Ruthamnong

Applied Environmental Research

This study presents a comprehensive multihazard risk assessment for Mueang Tak District, Thailand, that integrates hazard, vulnerability, and exposure (H-V-E) dimensions. By utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to prioritize critical risk factors. GIS analysis integrated multisource spatial data, including Landsat 9 and Sentinel-2 imagery, CHIRPS precipitation, and SRTM-derived topography, while AHP weights were established on the basis of expert judgment and socioeconomic indices such as the relative wealth index (RWI) and population statistics. The results delineate distinct spatial risk clusters: high landslide potential is concentrated in the steep terrain of …

Evaluating Sediment Control Strategies Using Swat Based Bmp Assessment In A Tropical Highland Watershed, Northern Thailand, ฺBanchongsak Faksomboon, Wilailak Suanmali

Applied Environmental Research

Soil erosion remains a critical environmental challenge in the tropical highland watersheds of Southeast Asia, where steep terrain, intense monsoonal rainfall, and intensive land use interact to accelerate sediment generation and downstream degradation. This study aims to quantify spatial patterns of sediment yield and to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of individual and combined best management practices (BMPs) at both the watershed and subwatershed (SWW) scales using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in a tropical highland watershed in northern Thailand. Baseline simulations reveal pronounced spatial heterogeneity in erosion severity, with substantial portions of the watershed exhibiting moderate to extreme …

Weekly Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of Forest Fire Hotspots In Tak Province, Thailand : A Gis-Based Directional Analysis, Suphatphong Ruthamnong

Applied Environmental Research

Forest fires are recurrent dry-season hazards in northern and western Thailand, yet their short-term spatial dynamics remain insufficiently understood. In this study, weekly spatiotemporal dynamics of forest fire hotspots in Tak Province, Thailand, were examined using Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) active-fire data and GIS-based directional analysis. Hotspots from five fire seasons (2021–2025) were grouped into 24 weekly intervals beginning on 1 December. The analysis integrated weekly hotspot counts, forest-type compositions, mean-center trajectories, standard deviational ellipses, temporal changes in topographic characteristics, and fishnet-based hotspot persistence mapping. The results revealed that fire activity was highly concentrated during the middle of …

Quantifying The Fatal And Non-Fatal Burden Of Disease Associated With Child Growth Failure, 2000–2023: A Systematic Analysis From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2023, Gbd 2023 Child Growth Failure Collaborators, Amanuel Gebremedhin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Child growth failure (CGF), which includes underweight, wasting, and stunting, is among the factors most strongly associated with mortality and morbidity in children younger than 5 years worldwide. Poor height and bodyweight gain arise from a variety of biological and sociodemographic factors and are associated with increased vulnerability to infectious diseases. We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 to estimate CGF prevalence, the risk of infectious diseases associated with CGF, and the disease mortality, morbidity, and overall burden associated with CGF.

Methods: In this analysis we estimated the all-cause and …

The Representation Of Urban Peripherality In Selected Noir Narratives, Mona Sayed

English Language and Literature

This thesis examines the representation of two forms of urban peripherality, i.e. city periphery and peripheral city, in selected noir narratives from two Akashic short story collections, Brooklyn Noir (2004), edited by Tim McLoughlin, and Mumbai Noir (2012), edited by Altaf Tyrewala. The study investigates these representations to attempt forming a broader conceptualisation of urban peripherality that goes beyond the conventional Western one, which foregrounds the geographical divides as identifying features between urban centre and periphery. The thesis draws on the urban conceptual framework to conduct a close reading of the spatial, cultural, and social representations of urban peripheries within …

Psychotropic Medication Prescribing To Children And Young People Mental Health Inpatient Services: An English National Study, David Branford, Anne Webster, Marinos Kyriakopoulos, Shermin Imran, Prathiba Chitsabesan, Tina Irani, Teresa Randon, Kirsten Peebles, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Background:Mental disorders frequently begin in childhood or adolescence. Worldwide, psychotropics are commonly prescribed for under-18s to stabilise behaviour, mood or thoughts. Psychotropics could cause long-term effects on children and young people (CYP) health, growth and development. There is a knowledge gap about psychotropic prescribing in CYP mental health inpatient units.Aims:To understand and compare psychotropic prescribing patterns in England mental health inpatient units for CYPs and to solicit CYP and their parents’ and carers’ views of it.Method:A national Quality Improvement programme authorised by National Health Service (NHS) England invited all English CYP mental health inpatient units to participate. The programme included …

Growth In The Margins: Field Measured Protein Metabolism Rates In The Common Limpet, Patella Vulgata, Ignacio A. Cienfuegos, Benjamin J. Ciotti, Richard A. Billington, Paul A. Sutton, Keiron P.P. Fraser

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Intertidal shores are characterised by a high variability in abiotic conditions, resulting in marked daily, tidal, seasonal and vertical differences in stress conditions, yet our ability to understand the consequences for key physiological processes at corresponding scales are limited. In particular, no previous studies have directly measured protein metabolism, the key process underpinning animal growth, in the field, in any organism. We measured whole-animal (SGR) and tissue (TSGR) mass growth, protein metabolism (synthesis (k_s), degradation (k_d) and growth (k_g)), RNA to protein ratios and oxidative stress in Patella vulgata in the field every season …

Royal College Of Psychiatrists College Report 244: Optimising Psychotropic Medication Prescribing For People With Intellectual Disability, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Testing The Transferability Of Ai Models For Cold-Water Coral Detection And Classification, Kyran P. Graves, Louise Allcock, David K.A. Barnes, Amelia E.H. Bridges, Kerry L. Howell

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The proliferation of accessible deep-water imaging platforms has resulted in the acquisition of vast amounts of image data, resulting in an analysis bottleneck. Object detection is now being applied to assist the image annotation process, with the potential to reduce analysis time. However, for object detectors to effectively tackle the scale of the challenge, models need to be generalisable to allow the transfer between imaging platforms and in space. This study trains YOLOv5 object detection models to identify six coral morphology groups using annotated imagery collected by ROV ISIS in the UK (JC136). Model performance was tested with independent datasets …

Children And Adults Across 15 Countries Believe In Human Uniqueness Of Mind: A Cross-Cultural Investigation Of Cross-Species Mind Perception, Karri Neldner, Luke Maurits, Magie Junker, Lara Abbas, Nayrouz Abbas, Arianna Abis, Federica Amici, Bernardo Arroyo-Garcia, Negar Asghari, Giovanna Barragán Pardo, Zhen Zhang, Junior Peña Chumacero, Ardain Dzabatou, Dustin Eirdosh, Susan Hanisch, Tom Herrnsdorf, Tom Hovehne, Alicia Junker, Patricia Kanngiesser, Felipe Villa Larens, Safaa Mahmoud, Sandra Masaquiza, Iino Masato, Risma Illa Maulany, Tongtong Meng, Kardelen Mutlu, Putu Oka Ngakan, Ebru Peközer, Ljubica Petrović, Mirella Christy Rehatalanit

School of Psychology

The way humans relate to other animals is fundamentally shaped by whether we perceive ourselves as unique, with feelings and thoughts not shared by other animals. How beliefs about animals’ ability to feel and think develop across cultures remains largely unexplored. We asked children and adolescents (4–17 years, N = 1025) and adults (N = 190) from 33 urban and rural communities across 15 countries whether animals have thoughts or feelings (judgments of presence), and whether those thoughts or feelings are human-like (judgments of similarity). Bayesian analyses revealed that participants generally ascribed non-human animals the ability for thoughts and feelings. …

Enhancing Monitoring In Protected Areas: Evaluating Mobile Apps As A Tourism Proxy, Jorge Costa, Alberto Gomes, Martin Stokes, Miguel Saraiva

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Crowdsourced data, such as that from mobile fitness apps (MFAs), has the potential to transform tourism research. This opportunity is particularly valuable as tourism to protected areas (PAs) increases, making it more difficult to manage their environmental impacts. However, such data sources come with challenges. Therefore, their representativeness should be carefully evaluated, particularly as their use continues to grow. We use the Paiva Walkways (Portugal) to assess MFAs as a tourism proxy using Spearman’s rank correlation, to evaluate kernel density and fishnet methods for spatialising visitor movements, and to analyse the visitors’ spatiotemporal behaviour using GIS, kernel density estimation, and …

Who Invests In Crypto? Revealed Types And Economic Drivers Of Retail Investment, Darren Aiello, Scott R. Baker, Tetyana Balyuk, Marco Di Maggio, Mark J. Johnson, Jason Kotter

Faculty Publications

Using transaction-level data from millions of U.S. households, we provide the first comprehensive characterization of retail cryptocurrency investment. Crypto investors are distinguished not by demographics but by a latent behavioral type revealed through consumption patterns—one that also predicts higher participation in traditional equity brokerages. The economic forces driving crypto investment, including income shocks, workplace peer effects, and inflation exposure, mirror those driving traditional investment. Crucially, households whose consumption matches the crypto-investor profile are more responsive to all these drivers across both asset classes, suggesting that investor type is a more relevant distinction than asset class.

Presence And Characteristics Of Plastics And Microplastics On The Seabed Of The Western English Channel, Faye Read, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Little is known about the presence, distribution, origins and characteristics of plastic litter and microplastics on the ocean floor. In this study, plastics trawled from the bed of the western English Channel have been categorised and analysed by a variety of optical and spectroscopic techniques. A total of 90 plastic samples were classified, in descending order of abundance, as food-drink packaging, unknown, homeware, military and fishing. Most samples showed varying degrees of weathering (e.g., discolouration, distortion, cracking, fragmentation) and were visibly fouled by calcareous deposits. The majority of samples were constructed of polymers of negative buoyancy (e.g., polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate …

Invisible Innovation: Intellectual Labour On Regional University Campuses In Australia, Merete Schmidt, Lucinda Aberdeen, Colleen Carlon, Robyn Eversole

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In Australia, regional university campuses occupy a geographically and institutionally peripheral position in a metrocentric higher education system. We argue that the concentration of research funding and capabilities at metropolitan campuses devalues the intellectual labour of academics working on regional university campuses. The authors use collaborative autoethnography to explore a common theme of ‘gap filling’, that is, mobilising scarce resources to create unique solutions for local issues, and draw on Southern Theory to theorise the implications for our work in the location-based power relations of the Australian knowledge production economy. In this context, we utilise Eversole's concept of ‘invisible innovation’ …

The Southeastern Librarian 73(4) Winter 2026 (Full Issue)

The Southeastern Librarian

No abstract provided.

Critical Connections: The University Of Tennessee And Oak Ridge From The Dawn Of The Atomic Age To The Present, Camille Mccutcheon

The Southeastern Librarian

Lee Riedinger, Al Ekkebus, Ray Smith, and William Bugg

Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2024

ISBN: 9781621906544

488 pp. $39.95 (Hbk)

What Race Means For Health Among Black Americans: How Microaggressions Shape Self-Efficacy And Readiness For Behavior Change, Amanda Lee Almond

Publications and Research

Objectives: Persistent racial disparities in cardiovascular health among Black Americans reflect not only structural inequities in the United States, but also the racialized meanings of cardiovascular disease reproduced through public and private health communication. Drawing on ecological systems theory, this research examines how beliefs linking race and cardiovascular disease are reinforced through routine clinical interactions and how these meanings shape health behavior change. Method: Across two experimental mixed-methods studies, a model integrating ecological, social–cognitive, and behavior-change frameworks was tested. In Study 1 (N = 374), health-message framing was experimentally manipulated to examine effects on self-efficacy and decisional balance while controlling …

Archives And Children's Knowledge, Elliott Kuecker, Ashley Rockenbach

Publications and Research

This article argues for the importance of collecting works created by children—not just about and not just for—in formal archival collections. Framed through the ideas of legitimate knowledge and epistemic injustice, this piece combines notions important to children’s rights activists and childhood studies scholars with the role archives can play in preserving children’s knowledge through child-created materials. The authors describe how researchers struggle to find work created by children within archives, impacting the ability to create child-centered research that centers children’s views of the world as prominently as adult views of the world. Some collections that do include child-created materials …

Baking In The Disposition: The Wac/Wid World Through Translational Lenses, Joseph Franklin

Publications and Research

In a global perspective for WAC and other writing programs, the singular identifier of the nation still holds a dominance in articles, books, and conference presentations. But, how we understand relationships between different programs on the global writing studies map often demands a more nuanced unpacking than stable nation-markers can offer. Jonathan Hall (2023) calls us to take up “thinking with trans-” in WAC (p. 13). This chapter answers this call first by locating different pieces of global writing program scholarship along a spectrum from those that aim to establish a single, stable identity for a particular (often national) writing …

Lack Of Disparities In Postoperative Care After Ileocecal Resection In Patients With Crohn's Disease At Tertiary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Centers, Shannon Coombs, Molly Powell, Kemmian Johnson, Jessica Hu, Mollie Webb, Philip Mcdaniel, Parakkal Deepak, Edward L Barnes

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggest that longer drive time (DT) to specialists and higher area deprivation index (ADI) are linked to worse outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but their impact on postileocolic resection (ICR) care in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) is not well defined.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate disparities in post-ICR care based on DT and ADI.

METHODS: Spatial analysis was performed with ArcGIS Pro to geocode patient and medical facility addresses with StreetMap Premium locators. High DT was defined as >60 min from the center. Data were analyzed using basic statistics and multivariate logistic regression.

DESIGN: A …

Applied Machine Learning In Mineral Prospectivity Mapping In The South Pass-Granite Mountains Of Wyoming, Carl D. York

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The South Pass-Granite Mountains, comprised of Archean to Tertiary rocks embedded with an Archean greenstone belt in Central Wyoming, have historically been mined for gold, iron, steel, and silver. Rare earth elements have been of increasing interest in the region and thus, several datasets have become available. Knowledge driven and data driven models are used in mineral prospectivity mapping with input data including geological mapping, geochemical data, geophysical (USGS Critical Mineral magnetic and gravity data), radiometric (U, Th, K) data and multispectral remote sensing data. Mineral prospectivity has seen a rapid improvement in recent years using advancements in machine learning …

¡Salud! Sacrificing The Sacred Sip: A Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of The Spiritual Conquest On Alcohol Traditions In Central México, Elizabeth Vilchis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

By thoroughly investigating the available primary sources, this thesis will convey the importance of the Mesoamerican inebriating drink pulque in both the ethos and mythos of ancient Nahua society, examining how the ritual use of pulque became problematic in the eyes of the Spaniards, by investigating the cultural and ideological contradictions or double standards that enabled the tensions, struggles, and violence with which the Spanish colonial regime repressed the ritual use of pulque. This thesis compares the Nahua ethos and mythos of pulque to the Christian ethos and mythos of wine, highlighting the parallels perceived by Spaniards in Central México …

Northern Luzon In A Taiwan Flashpoint: The Philippines’ Place In U.S. Strategy, Carson Keller

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

While the defense of Taiwan from a potential invasion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has long been a topic of debate and scrutiny in U.S. strategic thinking, the role of its southern neighbor, the Philippines, has received far less attention. This thesis argues that northern Luzon would constitute key terrain in a cross-strait conflict and may become an early target of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) operations. Its proximity to Taiwan and position along the Luzon Strait, particularly the Bashi Channel, places it at the center of efforts to control access to the hypothetical battlespace. Drawing on PLA and …

A Geospatial Assessment Of Groundwater Salinization In A Multi-Aquifer System: Durango, Mexico, Juan Lopez-Sierra

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Groundwater salinization poses a critical environmental concern for water resource sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions. This study evaluates spatial and temporal patterns of groundwater salinity across the state of Durango, Mexico, using total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), as salinity indicators and nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃–N) as an anthropogenic indicator. Groundwater quality data were obtained from (CONAGUA), a Mexican water agency. To assess salinity variations with respect to time, while minimizing interannual sampling bias, two multi-year sampling periods were selected: 2012-2013, and 2020-2021. Final datasets consisted of 122 wells for 2012–2013 and 131 wells for 2020–2021. The wells were …

Exploring Factors Mediating White-Nose Syndrome In Little Brown Bats, Carly R. Trujillo

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) has experienced drastic population declines across North America due to the recent disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). Previous studies have identified putatively adaptive alleles (PAAs) that may give individuals a greater likelihood of survival. However, there could be geographic-specific adaptation, creating different adaptive landscapes. Additionally, there may be energetic trade-offs between disease survival and reproductive output, and it is not clear what the long-term survival outcomes for the species may be as a result. Long-term evolutionary outcomes are unclear because this species has a lifespan exceeding the arrival of WNS and is difficult …