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Shadow Of The Rising Sun: How Japanese Culture Was Transferred To The United States Via Foreign Policy, Alex Pearson

Masters Theses

Post-World War II U.S. economic foreign policy towards Japan aimed to revitalize the war-torn country’s economy and spread democracy to the East. The economic foreign policy enacted by the United States to revitalize the Japanese economy resulted in an increase and “normalization” of Japanese culture in America. This thesis explores the connection of post-war American foreign policy to the increase of American exposure to Japanese culture that sparked normalization. By focusing on the efforts of U.S. policymakers and the positive media coverage of Japanese culture in the United States, a clear correlation between economic foreign policy and the normalization of …

Lucretius, Ovid, And Milton In Seventeenth-Century England: First Matter, Creation, And Food Of Angels, Conny M. Pfeifer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Paradise Lost is a complex poem that not only contains John Milton’s rendition of the Genesis creation narrative and the Fall of humankind but also provides a voice for his unique theology. This dissertation argues that Milton’s creative use of the three disparate concepts of consuming and digesting knowledge, chaos, and the night sky allows him to respond to Lucretian atomism, to address questions regarding the mortality of the soul, and to navigate the scientific discoveries of the seventeenth century, especially the astronomical discoveries of Galileo Galilei. An examination of digestion, chaos, and night helps shed light on Milton’s unique …

Targeting Nuclear Receptors In Muscular Dystrophies And Regenerative Myogenesis, Eira Mann, Hoang Vu, Vihang A Narkar, Yu Liu

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Skeletal muscle is a highly plastic tissue with a robust capacity for regeneration, largely driven by resident satellite cells. Muscular dystrophies comprise a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders characterized by progressive muscle degeneration, chronic inflammation, and impaired regenerative capacity. Despite well-defined genetic etiologies, effective disease-modifying therapies for these disorders, as well as many acquired myopathies, remain limited. Emerging evidence identifies nuclear receptors (NRs) as key regulators of skeletal muscle homeostasis, integrating hormonal, metabolic, and environmental signals to control transcriptional programs governing mitochondrial function, metabolism, inflammation, and myogenesis. In this review, we summarize the diverse roles and mechanisms of action of …

Course Portfolio For A New Course On Data Analysis And Visualization In Animal Research, Jessie C. Morrill

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio describes the design and development of a new course focused on data analysis and visualization in animal research at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. The course was developed to meet the needs of students enrolled in Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy graduate programs in the Department of Animal Science as well as those in the Master of Applied Science in Beef Cattle Production program. The new course was taught on an exploratory basis in Fall 2024 and Fall 2025; the perspectives of both students and the instructor are contained within this portfolio. The reflections …

The Backside Of The Pond, Wendy Murphy

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

The Backside of the Pond is a collection of personal essays that braid lived experiences with academic inquiry, exploring a variety of themes and the transformative power of reflective writing. Anchored in the geography of Occom Pond, on the northside of the Dartmouth College campus, the collection uses this familiar landscape as both refuge and metaphor.

The thesis also examines the ethics and craft of writing creative nonfiction, considering the tensions between emotional truth and the fallibility of memory. The essays trace moments of clarity, frustration, humor, grief, and renewal. Together, they offer an inquiry into how humans create meaning: …

Fifty Years Of Research In The Commonwealth Of The Bahamas: A Quantitative Thematic Analysis Of Scholarly Output, Amina Moss, Krista D. Sherman, Williamson Gustave, Kathleen Sullivan Sealey, Charlotte Dunn, Nicola Simone Smith, Lindy Knowles, Christy Gibson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This study presents the first longitudinal bibliometric mapping of peer—reviewed research on The Bahamas, analyzing 12,113 Web of Science records (1975–2025) using CiteSpace v.6.4.R2. We identified 36 co—citation clusters (modularity Q = 0.7967; silhouette = 0.9231) and 28 keyword clusters (Q = 0.7523; silhouette = 0.8695), revealing 8 thematic trajectories over 5 decades. Early research (prior to 1990) focused on carbonate geology and sea—level dynamics across the northwestern Bahama Platform and Blake—Bahama Basin (Cluster#0, silhouette = 0.939). From the 1990s–mid—2000s, attention shifted to marine fisheries, Aliger gigas, coral reefs, and ecological resilience (Cluster #1, n = 203). In the …

The Strength Of The Association Between Obesity And Mortality From Diabetes Among Adults In Florida, Diego A. Garcia, Jacob Bleasdale Phd,Ms,Ches, Cristobal Cintron Msc, Drph

High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of preventable death across the United States, with obesity being directly tied to this condition as one of its most significant and modifiable risk factors. Although national-level evidence strongly supports this association, Florida-specific population data is still limited.

Methods: County-level adult obesity prevalence and age-adjusted diabetes mortality data were obtained directly from the Florida Health CHARTS website (FL DOH,2024) for all Florida counties. The Pearson correlation (r) was used to evaluate the strength of association between the variables

Results: A statistically significant, moderate-positive correlation was found between adult obesity rates …

Exploring Novice Teacher Readiness For Urban Classrooms: A Phenomenological Study Of Teacher Education Programs, Thomas Virgona

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

This phenomenological study investigates the preparedness of novice educators transitioning from higher education programs to urban school settings, addressing high teacher attrition rates in under-resourced urban communities. Through the lens of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory and a phenomenological framework, the research explores how novice educators perceive their preparedness for urban classroom challenges and which elements of their preparation proved most beneficial. The study analyzes in-depth interviews with 10 novice teachers across four Title I school districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York. Findings revealed that participants perceived themselves as underprepared for the socioeconomic realities, behavioral complexities, and cultural diversity of …

A Neurophenomenological Perspective On The Self And Spirituality: The Role Of The Affective Core Self, Michael J. Winkleman, Andrew B. Newberg

Marcus Institute of Integrative Health Faculty Papers

The self is central to spirituality because the self is necessary for consciousness, and spiritual relations are fundamentally about the self. Diverse research illustrates the role of the downregulation of the right parietal lobe (rPL) in the spontaneous manifestation of spiritual experiences and during meditative practices. The functions of the rPL are central to the self, especially the embodied self. Disturbances of the rPL and embodied self-functions are associated with spiritual experience, exemplified in their association with “selflessness.” Many forms of self appear incompatible with spiritual and mystical experiences. An exception is the affective core self, the most ancient form …

Enzyme Susceptibility And Functionality Of High Protein Retentates And Reconstituted Ingredients, Khushi Dubey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the effects of processing history on the enzymatic susceptibility and functional properties of high-protein dairy ingredients, with a specific focus on ultrafiltered (UF) and microfiltered (MF) retentates and spray-dried powders. While retentates and powders are often used interchangeably in industrial applications, processing steps, such as drying, can induce structural and physicochemical changes that affect protein functionality and enzyme accessibility. Milk protein concentrates (MPC) and micellar casein concentrates (MCC) were standardized to 10% protein and subjected to enzymatic treatments, including proteolysis (Alcalase and rennet) and crosslinking (transglutaminase and laccase). Structural modifications were evaluated using capillary gel electrophoresis, non-protein …

A Simple Guide For Researchers And Institutional Review Boards (Irbs) To Protect Data Integrity In Online Human Subjects Survey Research, Julie Simpson

Integrity in Research and Scholarship

Researchers have used the internet to collect data for over two decades. More recently, however, online research has become a target for fraudulent respondents, particularly when researchers offer monetary incentives for participation in a study. This guide will briefly outline the evolution of internet-based human subjects research, explore the current environment for online data collection from human participants, outline strategies for researchers and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to help minimize and identify fraudulent responses and protect data integrity in online surveys, and discuss the challenges of balancing data integrity with research participant welfare.

Food Delivery Services For Enhancing Participation In The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic) In The United States: Bridging The Wic-Eligible Access Gap, Jingjing Gao, Muinat Abolore Idris, Lilian O Ademu, Bryan Colby Griffin, Yue Zhang, Yun Hang, Gabriela A Gallegos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Diet-related health disparities among U.S. children persist despite the availability of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits to eligible women, infants, and children. Participation remains suboptimal: only 51.2% of eligible individuals were enrolled in 2021. Transportation and food-environment constraints pose salient barriers, especially for caregivers of infants in food deserts. Emerging online ordering and delivery options may reduce access frictions, but grocery delivery coverage is limited, and fees are often not covered by benefits.

Methods: We linked USDA Food and Nutrition Service state-level WIC participation data (November 2024 vs. September 2025) with demographic, …

Impact Of A Culinary Medicine Intervention On Diet And Health Metrics In Patients With Type 2 Diabetes And Elevated Body Mass Index, Natalia I Heredia, Logan R Thornton, Diana C Guevara, Natalia Williams, Grace Marcelo-Ramirez, Joanne Chow, Lorna H Mcneill, Karen Basen-Engquist, Ruth Rechis, Deanna M Hoelscher

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Culinary Medicine (CM), an educational approach blending the art of cooking with the science of medicine, has shown promise in improving diet and health outcomes. We conducted a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental evaluation of a CM program to promote cooking and healthy dietary intake.

Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes and elevated body mass index (>25) were recruited from primary care clinics in low-income neighborhoods. The program, delivered by a dietitian, includes five weekly 90-minute sessions on basic cooking skills with behaviorally-based nutrition education. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods pilot study with a pre-post survey design and post-program interviews was used …

Safety And Efficacy Of 6% Hydroxyethyl Starch In Patients Undergoing Major Surgery: The Randomised Controlled Phoneics Trial, Wolfgang Buhre, Óscar Díaz-Cambronero, Simon Schaefer, Martin Novacek, Marina Soro Domingo, Bjorn Stessel, Aurelio Rodríguez-Pérez, Torsten Richter, Georg Rohe, Bernard Cholley, Matthias Gruenewald, Gerhardus Kuiper, Samir Jaber, Dianne De Korte, Javier Belda, Marcelo Gama De Abreu, Robert Baronica, Thomas Scheeren, Carlos Ferrando-Ortolá, Wojciech Szczeklik, Dana Tomescu, Tomas Vyzamal, Zejka Gavranovic, María Pilar Argente-Navarro, Guido Mazzinari, Sarah Thaler, Nuria García-Gregorio, Jeroen Vandenbrande, Diane Zlotnik, Jakob Wittenstein, Sonja Schmier, Susanne Rohn, Christoph Glasmacher, Martin Holler, Cornelius Jungheinrich, Ulf Niess, Daniel I Sessler, Martin Westphal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Abstract

Background: Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is often used for maintaining vascular volume during major surgery. Long-term high-dose HES in septic patients promotes renal injury, whereas meta-analyses of current HES products in surgical patients do not show such effects.

Objective: We studied if the peri-operative use of HES is noninferior to crystalloids in terms of acute kidney injury. Secondary outcome was the noninferiority of HES on worsening of renal injury and/or the incidence of a composite endpoint of major complications and mortality until postoperative day 90.

Design: Randomised double-blind trial in patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery with expected blood loss at …

Feasibility And Preliminary Outcomes Of A Remotely-Delivered Exercise Training Intervention For English-Speaking Hispanics/Latinos With Multiple Sclerosis: Results From The Ferla Ms Study, Victoria A Flores, Stephanie L Silveira, David X Marquez, Dominique Kinnett-Hopkins, Augusto Miravalle, Fabian Sierra-Morales, Robert W Motl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There is limited evidence on the feasibility of remotely delivered exercise interventions for English-speaking Hispanics/Latinos with MS.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and exploratory efficacy of a remotely-delivered, home-based exercise program for English-speaking Hispanics/Latinos with MS and to explore associations among feasibility metrics, outcomes, and social determinants of health (SDOH).

Results: Of 340 individuals contacted, 112 were eligible (33%), 33 enrolled (9.7%), 30 randomized, and 26 completed (87% retention). Adherence averaged 81% (exercise) and 89% (control). No serious adverse events occurred. Exploratory within-group improvements were observed in the exercise group for physical activity (p = 0.03, d = …

Understanding Practices Of Lactation And Infant Feeding Together With Women With Hiv: The Uplift Observational Study Protocol, Christiana Smith, Emily Anne Barr, Karen Hampanda, Mark Trumbull, Hulin Wu, Jennifer Mckinney, Sarah Buisson, Carly Hoffmann, Ciarra Brown, Angela B Hutchinson, K Rivet Amico, Ifeyinwa V Asiodu, Elizabeth J Mcfarland, Margaret A Lampe, Preetam A Cholli, Olga Varechtchouk, Allahna Esber, Athena P Kourtis, Lisa Abuogi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: There is a limited understanding of infant feeding decisions, practices, and outcomes for women living with HIV (WLHIV) and their infants since U.S. guidelines were updated in 2023 to support breastfeeding for virally suppressed women on antiretroviral treatment.

Methods and analysis: The Understanding Practices of Lactation and Infant Feeding Together with women with HIV (UPLIFT) study is a convergent mixed-methods, multisite, observational study designed to address key knowledge gaps. Twelve US sites will begin enrollment in early 2026 to accomplish three core activities (CA). In CA1, we explore infant feeding decision-making and experiences via in-depth interviews with pregnant/postpartum WLHIV …

Evaluating Differences In Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts By Infant Sex: National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2011, Victoria A Salinas, Natalie P Archer, Layla R Lustri, Katherine L Ludorf, Timothy Ihongbe, Wei Yang, Eva M Williford, Marilyn L Browne, Adrian M Michalski, Lindsay A Williams, Wendy Nembhard, Eirini Nestoridi, Gary M Shaw, Andrew F Olshan, A J Agopian, National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To investigate nongenetic factors that may contribute to observed differences in nonsyndromic orofacial clefts by infant sex.

Study design: Using data for 1997-2011 deliveries from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a case-control study, we separately examined associations between 23 maternal factors and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and cleft palate alone (CP) using multivariable logistic regression stratified by infant sex.

Results: We compared 2986 infants with CL/P and 1557 with CP to 11 271 control infants without birth defects. After adjusting for maternal age at conception and education, lower odds of nonsyndromic orofacial clefts were …

Cryptic Mechanisms Of Post-Fire Nitrogen Recovery In Northern Conifer Forests, Robert Edward Heumann

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In recent decades, northern conifer forests have experienced larger, more frequent and more intense wildfires. Severe, stand-replacing wildfire substantially reduces forest nitrogen (N) stocks, a critical nutrient that often limits net primary productivity on land. Continued increases in wildfire activity may exacerbate forest N limitation in the future. Yet, while research shows N stocks in northern conifer forests recover following severe wildfire, the processes that contribute to rapid increases in N during post-fire regeneration are unclear. Atmospheric deposition of N and known sources of biological N fixation cannot explain the observed post-fire N accumulations. This paradox raises the question: How …

Skin Tone Inclusive Assessment To Reduce Missed Pressure Injuries, Sheena May Viste

IdeaFest 2026

Patients with high‑melanin skin are at increased risk of developing pressure injuries and experiencing more severe progression because early signs are frequently missed. This disparity is attributed to delayed PI recognition because standard visual skin assessments are biased toward light skin and fail to identify early tissue damage (Black et al., 2023; LaFond et al., 2025). Implementing the Skin Assessment for Dark Skin (SADS) technique—use of halogen light and multisensory palpation—during assessments helps nurses identify early pressure injury indicators. The overarching goal is to reduce diagnostic delays by using tools such as Skin Assessment for Dark Skin (SADS) to support …

Microbial Worlds Within: Sem Of Darlingtonia Pitchers, Sierra Vasinthascha

IdeaFest 2026

Darlingtonia californica relies on microbes within its pitcher fluid to break down captured prey into usable nutrients. This process is typically attributed to bacteria; however, fungi, are also found in the fluid, and their role remains largely unknown. For this project, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to directly visualize microorganisms in pitcher fluid and on pitcher tissue. Cultured bacterial and fungal isolates from Darlingtonia’s fluid provided morphological references for identification. Tissues from the hood and lower pitcher were then processed and examined for comparison. Both bacteria and yeast-like fungi were observed in each region. The abundance of fungi found …

Bridging The Gap In Prediabetes Care: Improving Outcomes Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Adults, Becca Gilbride

IdeaFest 2026

Prediabetes disproportionately affects low-income adults, yet many remain unaware or untreated due to limited time and resources in community health care settings. Addressing prediabetes is a critical window of opportunity to prevent type 2 diabetes and is essential to reducing disparities and long-term complications. Guided by the Evidence-Based Practice Change model, this project implements multi-level interventions, including motivational interviewing, community education, and clinical decision support tools. Outcomes focus on improving self-efficacy and engagement and achieving at least a 0.5% A1C reduction within one year. These improvements are expected to enhance quality of life, lower the risk of serious complications, and …

Improving Diabetes Outcomes In Native American Populations, Meagan Shadle

IdeaFest 2026

Despite organized efforts, Humboldt County tribes have had little improvement regarding diabetes outcomes when compared to county and state data averages. These trends suggest that regardless of advancements in therapy, monitoring and prevention there is still an issue of equity among ethnic groups in Humboldt County. This data highlights the need for an integrative and culturally centered, community based strategy that aims to improve the health outcomes and longevity of the Indigenous peoples within this shared land. By providing individualized care plans and disease process management with community engagement programs focused on relevant and accessible diet and lifestyle education there …

Fad Diets Or Bad Diets?, Walker Dorris

IdeaFest 2026

A literature review on fad diets and their effectiveness and sustainability with regard to weight loss and overall health.

Promoting Hope And Resilience: Measuring The Psychological Effects Of An Undergraduate Climate Change Education Course, Clare Bridgett Maguire

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The psychological effects of climate change are increasing, which has led to an increase in advocacy to research these effects. Current literature has included a focus on categorizing and understanding the psychological impacts, creating psychometrically sound instruments to measure the effects, and education as a tool to enhance coping strategies. However, limited research exists on measuring the emotional outcomes for students who engage in climate change education at the post-graduate level.

This dissertation explores the effects of an undergraduate-level climate change course on participants’ experiences of eco-anxiety, ecological grief, resilience, and hope to better understand the psychological effects of climate …

Growing Agroecology: Two Case Studies From The U.S. Student Farm Movement, Amelia B. Armstrong

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Scholars and activists identify agroecology as a crucial science, practice, and movement to move towards more just, equitable, and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Yet, the exploitative industrial food system, that deepens inequalities like food insecurity (Clapp et al., 2025), reduces farmer autonomy (Rotz, 2015), and contributes to increased carbon emissions (Lin et al., 2011) and biodiversity decline (Rotz, 2015), still dominates. Understanding and mobilizing the different spaces that teach agroecology, then, is a crucial step in challenging the dominant industrial food system. Agroecology education in university settings is an important domain to investigate as potential contributors to this movement, …

Eureka Silvercrest, Avyonne Currington

IdeaFest 2026

During my College Corps fellowship at Silvercrest HUD housing, I supported low-income seniors and disabled residents as they navigated complex social systems in a rural setting. I provided case management by connecting individuals to vital resources, simplifying documentation, and advocating for accessible medical transit. This work is critical because it builds self-advocacy skills and mitigates the severe isolation associated with rural poverty. This experience bridged my academic theory with real-world practice, synthesizing my BSW education into applied clinical skills as I advance toward my MSW and ultimate LCSW licensure.

High Appetite: Cannabis And Its Relationship With Eating Patterns And Overall Nutrition, Jj O'Hara

IdeaFest 2026

My project is looking into the relationship between cannabis and nutrition. Specifically, disordered eating, diet content, and how it can help individuals who might struggle with undereating.

Resilience By Design: Evidence From The Richmond Resilience Initiative, Research Institute For Social Equity Rise, Morgan Woodle Phd, Albert Okwei, Yali Pang, Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn

Research Institute for Social Equity

This report presents a programmatic evaluation of the Richmond Resilience Initiative (RRI), a guaranteed income program designed to support economic stability among Richmond Residents experiencing financial hardship. The evaluation focuses on participants in Cohort Two and Cohort Three, examining program impacts over the two-year periods during which participants received cash transfers. Guaranteed income (GI), the provision of recurring, unconditional cash transfers, has grown in popularity as a significant policy innovation for addressing economic insecurity and inequality in the United States.

Prediction Of Phytocompounds For Environmental Sustainability: A Framework Using Computational Tools, Ankita Halder, Sayoni Dam, Sisir Nandi, Asmita Samadder

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

In response to the abruptly elevated environmental impact caused by the usage of chemical-based synthetic compounds in agricultural fields and pharmaceutical pollution, phytocompound-based products have become the choice of use for their ability to foster environmental sustainability. The potential of new phyto-based compounds has been explored in agriculture, phytoremediation, etc. Computer-based in silico prediction through ADMETlab 2.0, SwissADME, and Way2Drug software secured an important role in screening of these phyto-based compounds in terms of lethal concentration (LC₅₀FM, LC₅₀DM), Bioconcentration Factors, IGC50, and role in the TOX21 pathway ahead of their environmental exposure. These aforementioned softwares also …

Predicting Tilt In Esports: A Psychophysiological Approach To Understanding Player Emotional Regulation, Nathan Rhea

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Emotional regulation and stress management are important to both casual and competitive esports players. When players become dysregulated, they experience a phenomenon known as “tilt” within the gaming community, where they often lose control of their emotions and their performance declines. This study aimed to investigate whether a psychophysiological variable in heart rate variability could predict tilt in college-age esports players. Additionally, the relationship between heart rate variability and emotions predicted by the Tiltometer system with gameplay performance and winning or losing was tested.

This study used a quantitative correlational research design. Participants for this study were college-age players (N=23) …