Digital Commons Network^™

Organizational Executives’ Perspectives On Cultural Humility And Diversity, Lynette Piggee-Pinero

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action-oriented dissertation was to understand how executives perceive their own cultural humility and how their perceptions impact diversity promotion in the workplace. This study used action research to examine the perspectives of executives on their own cultural humility and how cultural humility promotes diversity. This study included data collected from interviews with eight executives. Findings from the study revealed that executives perceived their own cultural humility as evident in a commitment to learning about others, their ability to suspend their own biases, and their commitment to ongoing learning. The findings were also that executives expressed connections …

What Makes A Family: Steepparent's Experiences Supporting Children With Autism In School Systems, Veronica Barrera

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative multiple case study explored the lived experiences of stepparents of children with autism spectrum disorder, examining how they navigate their roles within school and family systems during early elementary years (kindergarten through second grade). Despite the increasing prevalence of blended families, stepparent perspectives remain largely absent from research. Stepparents often occupy ambiguous legal and social positions that limit their access to educational information and participation in IEP meetings and school decision-making. Two stepparents of children with Level 1 autism participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using inductive coding and thematic analysis, with narrative restorying to preserve participants’ …

Impact Of Cigarette Smoke On Immune And Stromal Cells, Justin Wong

Master's Projects

Cigarette smoke is a plight on human health, being a major contributor to lung diseases. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) directs immune regulation and metabolic adaptation in response to environmental toxins. This study investigates transcriptomic changes between wild-type and AHR knockout mouse lung tissue under smoke and air conditions. Single-cell RNA sequencing data were generated by the Butcher Lab and analyzed in Seurat for differential gene expression (DGE) analysis. A two way ANOVA framework was used with DGE analysis to classify genes as smoke induced or suppressed in an AHR dependent or independent manner, and these gene sets were analyzed …

From Panels To Power: Empowering Middle Schoolers Through Comics, Ali Geigerman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation explores how craftivism, grounded in feminist theory and informed by multiliteracies, can be used to disrupt and reclaim the traditionally male-dominated genre of comics for girls and non-binary students. While the New London Group’s concept of multiliteracies expands definitions of literacy to include visual, spatial, and multimodal forms of meaning-making, it does not fully address questions of power, representation, and voice. Drawing specifically on the work of bell hooks as a theoretical anchor, this study positions comics not only as legitimate multiliterate texts but also as sites of feminist intervention. By blending multiliteracies, feminism, and craftivism, this research …

Subliminal Nature: Dialogues In Performance, Carlos A. Carvajal

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

I will discuss how my artwork sets for the development of various layers of experience within the same context and space, to stimulate the subconscious of the audience. This layering is a combination of stimuli of senses (the inclusion of sound and active participation) and the syntax of the dynamics of audience interaction. Sound and visuals create a performance to acknowledge and read, while also pertaining to participation by a sort of instruction for the viewer to partake in the work. These are all different layers of experience that happen simultaneously within a piece, setting up different possible outcomes from …

‘Prov[Ing] What You Already Know’: The Overreliance On Medical Evidence In Adjudicating Ontario Disability Support Program Applications, Alison Imrie

Journal of Law and Social Policy

The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) relies heavily on medical evidence when adjudicating applications. In doing so, it positions healthcare providers as the undisputed experts on applicants’ disabilities. This poses particular challenges for applicants with under-recognized or misunderstood medical conditions like Myalgic Encelphalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), who may struggle to obtain adequate medical care and thus adequate medical evidence for the purpose of ODSP applications. Through qualitative interviews with five individuals with ME/CFS who applied for ODSP, this paper illuminates the particular challenges faced by those with ME/CFS and other under-recognized disabilities in the ODSP application process. Drawing on literature …

Common Data Set, 2025-2026, Planning, Research, And Policy Analysis

Common Data Set (2001-present)

Common Data Set 2025-2026 for Illinois State University

Essays On Accelerated Failure Time Models For Recurrent Event Data, Emmanuel Masavo Djegou

Doctoral Dissertations

Recurrent event data arise in many fields such as medicine, reliability, insurance, and economics, where the same event may occur repeatedly for a subject. Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models provide an intuitive framework for relating covariates to event times and offer a useful alternative to proportional hazards models, allowing direct prediction of event timing under right censoring. However, existing AFT extensions for recurrent events, such as accelerated gap time (AGT) models, often fail to account for interventions between events and may not capture complex temporal patterns.

In this work, we first propose a class of semiparametric AGT models incorporating an …

Differences In Dry Matter Intake In Grazing And Drylot Beef Cattle, Tylor John Yost

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurate measurement of individual dry matter intake (DMI) in grazing cattle remains a major challenge for evaluating feed efficiency traits in beef production systems. This study evaluated relationships among intake and efficiency traits measured in both pasture and drylot environments and assessed the potential for predicting pasture DMI using water intake and machine learning approaches. A total of 163 beef cattle across four experimental groups were evaluated in one of two grazing seasons (2024 or 2025). Drylot feed and water intake were measured using automated intake monitoring equipment, whereas pasture intake was determined using a long short-term memory …

Framing Addiction In The Age Of Vaping: A Journalism-Focused Reporting Toolkit, Jessica L. Riley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project addresses a critical gap in journalism practice: the lack of accessible, evidence-based guidance for reporting on addiction. Particularly as it relates to nicotine, tobacco and vaping. Journalists play a key role in shaping public understanding of substance use, yet existing resources often focus on opioids, lack specificity, or fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving nicotine products and scientific research. As a result, reporters may struggle with inconsistent terminology, unclear risk communication and the potential for unintentionally stigmatizing language.

Grounded in media effects theory, health communication and stigma research, this project examines how journalistic language and framing influence …

A Prospective Analysis Of Success And Survival Of Haptic Robotically Driven Dental Implant Placement., Samuel Clarkman Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to assess survivability of dental implants placed using robotic computer aided implant surgery via Yomi® (Neocis, Inc. Miami, FL) after at least 1 year of functional loading. Secondary analysis included additional success and marginal bone loss outcomes after at least 1 year of functional loading of the same Straumann (Basel, Switzerland) titanium dental implants that were placed with the r-CAIS workflow. Materials and Methods: Since acquisition of the Yomi® robotic system, a comprehensive list of patients who underwent dental implant therapy via r-CAIS methodology at West Virginia University Department of Graduate Periodontics …

Using Side Looking Hydroacoustics And Community Size Spectra To Assess Invasive Carp’S Impact On Fish Assemblage Integrity, Daniel Jacob Bryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Often accounting for over half of total fish biomass, invasive silver carp have dramatically reshaped the ecosystem of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. These high silver carp densities have been shown to affect native fish body condition, abundance, and community structure, highlighting the need for efficient methods to quantify silver carp’s effect on the native fish assemblage. Community size spectra (CSS) is a metric that quantifies fish assemblage body size structure based on the decrease in fish abundance with increasing size. To estimate silver carp’s effects on CSS in the Ohio River, side looking hydroacoustic monitoring was used alongside …

Teaching Evolution After Kennedy And Mahmoud, Alexander Gouzoules

Faculty Publications

One of the longest running disputes at the intersection of education law and the First Amendment has involved conflict over evolutionary biology in American public schools. Through a century of nearly continuous litigation, creationist legislation and parental demands to exempt students from science instruction have been constrained by longstanding First Amendment doctrines.

That settlement is now unraveling. In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Supreme Court abandoned its prior approach to the Establishment Clause in favor of a history-and-tradition analysis that is ill-suited to questions about modern scientific education. And in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the Court held that students' compulsory …

A Front-End Analysis Of Teacher Retention At A High Poverty K-5 Public School, Nicole Gray

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the experiences of educators impacted by teacher retention issues at a high-poverty K-5 public school. Researchers have studied the decline in individuals entering into the education profession as well as the high rates of individuals exiting the profession. With individuals leaving the profession at high rates, and not enough entering to replace those that are leaving, there is now a massive shortage with not enough teachers to meet the needs of students in public schools. The few individuals that are entering into the profession are not being retained, especially at high-poverty schools. This study explored the thoughts …

The Structure, Dynamics, And Impact Of An Interbacterial Weapon Encoded By Human Gut Bacteria, Casey John Latario

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The human gut is densely colonized by diverse bacteria. Over a human’s growth, the GI tract becomes a dynamic community that is subjected to a continual in-flow of nutrients and would-be colonizers and an out-flow of microbes and waste products. Despite these dynamics, the bacterial community often displays stability, with particular strains persisting over decades. These stable colonizers have evolved mechanisms to bolster their colonization, resist disruption by other microbes, and persist through environmental flux.

Both interbacterial competition and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) contribute to colonization and survival within the GI tract. A major mechanism for interbacterial competition is the …

Black Ecological Care: Conservation, Environmental Justice, And Sovereignty In Baltimore, Maryland, Alexandria Nicole Casteel

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Dominant traditions of urban planning, municipal policy, and environmental science register Black urban spaces through a vocabulary of pathology, as sites of ecological deficit, contamination, and social decay. This dissertation investigates how Black communities in U.S. cities attend to the environment in ways that address legacies of environmental and social injustice while opening pathways toward different environmental futures. I gather these practices under the analytic of Black ecological care, which captures the generative labor of making and maintaining livable worlds within, alongside, and beyond histories of harm. I develop the analytic across twenty-nine months of ethnographic fieldwork in 2021 and …

The Influence Of Metacognition On College Readiness And Persistence, Michael L. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined the influence that metacognition has on college readiness and its most traditionally used metrics: performance-based outcomes and persistence. Specifically, this study addressed to what degree underlying metacognitive structures differ between college students’ successful metrics of performance and persistence compared to a more general sample of college students.

The research characterized metacognition along three domains of analysis: (a) selfefficacy/ motivation, (b) soft skills/psychological capital (Psycap), and (c) expected value of control (EVC). The quantitative study included 54 college students and a crosssectional design. Participants completed a four-part Likert-style survey, where their responses were measured along the three …

Does Integrating Parental Involvement In Therapy Improve Behavior In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?, Pamela Lassiter

Theses and Dissertations

The research problem was the lower success rate of interventions for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because of the exclusion of parents in the counseling process. The purpose of the research was to explore if integrating parent involvement in therapy improved the behaviors in children with ADHD. The study occurred at a private mental health facility that used cognitive behavior therapy and behavior interventions with the children.

The study was guided by the phenomenological qualitative research design. Ten single parents of male children, ages 4 to 10 with ADHD, participated in this study. Parents were selected using a …

Journal Of Dental Sciences Editorial Board

Journal of Dental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Condylar Position Displacement Using Various Centric Relation Recording Techniques Based On Maximum Intercuspation Position: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Ling-Shiuan Huang, Yen-Chang Huang, I-Ting Wu, Shinn-Jyh Ding

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/ purpose: Restoring tooth defects is a key clinical task for dentists, aimed at either maintaining or reconstructing a functional occlusal dentition. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials comparing centric relation (CR) and maximum intercuspal position (MIP) condylar positions obtained using various CR techniques, and to verify the reproducibility of these methods.

Materials and methods: The PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published before January 2026. The single-arm meta-analysis used a random-effects model to calculate the overall effect size.

Results: This study included 12 articles published …

Efficacy Of Cryotherapy For Oral Leukoplakia: A Systematic Review, Chuan-Hang Yu, Tzu-Chen Chan, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Oral leukoplakia (OL) is the most common oral potentially malignant disorder and carries a risk of malignant transformation. Cryotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment option for OL, but its efficacy and optimal dose-response remain inconsistent among various studies. This systematic review evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of cryotherapy for OL lesions and explored whether the characteristics of the lesions and treatment parameters influenced clinical outcomes. Electronic searches were performed in Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Seven studies reporting original clinical outcomes of …

Epigallocatechin Gallate In Dentistry: Therapeutic Applications, Biomaterial Integration, And Translational Challenges, Chloe Jui-Yun Chang, Fang-Yu Fan, Yung-Li Wang, Thi Thuy Tien Vo, Yang-Che Wu, Yu-Chia Chang, I-Ta Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major bioactive catechin in green tea, has attracted increasing attention in dentistry because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, matrix-modulating, and regenerative properties. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the biological mechanisms, dental applications, and translational challenges of EGCG in oral healthcare. EGCG can modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling pathways, including nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1), and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-related responses, and has activity against oral disease-associated microorganisms and biofilms. In periodontal therapy, EGCG has been investigated as an adjunct …

The Leeuwenhoek Paradox In Dental Artificial Intelligence: A Narrative Review Of Artificial Intelligence-Detected Subclinical Periapical Changes And Human-Labeled False Positives, Etyene Schnurr, Mario Parra, David M. Kim

Journal of Dental Sciences

This narrative review explores the “Leeuwenhoek Paradox,” a metaphorical and conceptual challenge that arises when artificial intelligence (AI) detects subtle periapical radiological changes that are not visible to human observers. Drawing on evidence from studies using two-dimensional and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging, this review critically examined the limitations of human-centered reference standards and recurrent discrepancies in AI-based periapical detection. The literature shows that AI systems frequently detect more periapical alterations than human experts. These findings may reflect early bone changes, as indicated by CBCT-based analyses of bone density and longitudinal observations. The paradox arises because AI identifies subclinical radiographic …

Higher Serum Gastric Parietal Cell Antibody Titers Are Associated With Increased Frequencies Of Macrocytosis, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, And Hyperhomocysteinemia In Patients With Oral Lichen Planus, Yu-Hsueh Wu, Yi-Pang Lee, Julia Yu-Fong Chang, Yi-Ping Wang, Andy Sun, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Our previous study found 139 gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA)-positive oral lichen planus (OLP) patients (GPCA⁺OLP patients) in a group of 588 OLP patients. This study evaluated whether higher-titer (serum GPCA titer ≥ 160) GPCA⁺OLP patients had greater frequencies of macrocytosis, anemia, serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than lower-titer (GPCA titer ≤ 80) GPCA⁺OLP patients or 588 healthy control subjects.

Materials and methods: Complete blood count, serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 53 higher-titer GPCA⁺OLP patients, 86 lower-titer GPCA⁺OLP patients, and …

Oral Pathogens Reprogram Endothelial Barrier And Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme2/Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase-Nitric Oxide Signaling To Promote Blood Pressure Dysregulation, Ming-Shou Hsieh, Tung-Nien Hsu, Chin-Sheng Huang, Ting-Yi Renn, Kuang-Tai Kuo, Kuo-Yao Lin, Wei Jen Chang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Although periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, the endothelial mechanisms linking oral inflammation to vascular dysfunction remain unclear. We investigated whether Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) can directly disturb endothelial homeostasis and whether macrophage–endothelial crosstalk further worsens endothelial injury.

Materials and methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to Pg-LPS alone or co-cultured (transwell system) with Pg-LPS-primed human monocytic cells -derived macrophages. Endothelial dysfunction was assessed through nitric oxide (NO) production, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation, inflammatory and adhesion molecule expression, as well as junctional and cytoskeletal changes. Macrophage …

Dental Age–Based Assessment Of Retromolar Morphology In Skeletal Class Iii Patients: Implications For Mandibular Third Molar Development, Thuy-Trang Thi Ho, Tu Manh Nguyen, Loc Minh Lu, Fang-Yu Fan, Ying-Sui Sun, Yang-Che Wu, Sheng-Wei Feng, Chien-Fu Tseng, Pao-Chang Chiang, I-Ta Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: In skeletal Class III malocclusion, evaluation of mandibular third molar development is clinically important for orthodontic treatment planning, particularly in relation to posterior space conditions. This study aimed to assess the association between dental age of mandibular third molars and retromolar morphological characteristics in skeletal Class III patients.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included panoramic radiographs from 157 patients diagnosed with skeletal Class III malocclusion based on clinical examination and lateral cephalometric analysis. Mandibular third molar development was evaluated using Demirjian mineralization stages (D–H), representing stages from crown completion to root maturation. Retromolar morphology was evaluated …

Endothelin-1 Drives Cyclooxygenase-2 And Prostaglandin E2 Expression In Osteoblasts Through Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase And Activator Protein-1 Signaling During Periodontal Inflammation, Fang-Yu Fan, Thi Thuy Tien Vo, Hsuan Kuo, Chien-Fu Tseng, Wei-Ning Lin, Chia-Yu Wu, Yang-Che Wu, Chuen-Mao Yang, Li-Der Hsiao, I-Ta Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in inflammatory tissue responses, but its role in osteoblast-mediated inflammation during periodontal inflammation remains unclear. This study investigated whether ET-1 induces cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) release in osteoblasts and explored the underlying signaling mechanisms.

Materials and methods: Murine osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells were stimulated with ET-1. COX-2 protein and mRNA expression, promoter activity, and PGE₂ release were assessed by Western blotting, real-time RT-PCR, luciferase reporter assay, and ELISA, respectively. Pharmacological inhibitors and siRNA knockdown were used to examine the roles of ET_A/ET_B receptors, G_{q …}

Isoliquiritigenin Represses The Pro-Fibrotic Tgf-Β/Smad2 Signaling And Nuclear Enriched Abundant Transcript 1 (Neat1) In Oral Submucous Fibrosis, Chi-Shan Tseng, Shih-Min Wang, Yi-Wen Liao, Her-Hsiung Huang, Cheng-Chia Yu, Yicyuan Chen

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) has shown anti-fibrotic potential in several organ systems, but its effects on oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) remain unclear. This study investigated whether ISL attenuates myofibroblast activities in buccal mucosal fibroblasts (BMFs) from OSF patients by modulating TGF-β/Smad2 signaling and the long non-coding RNA NEAT1.

Materials and methods: Primary normal BMFs and fibrotic BMFs (fBMFs) were isolated from human buccal mucosa, and cell viability, collagen gel contraction, migration, and wound closure were examined after ISL treatment with or without arecoline. TGF-β1 secretion was quantified, while protein expression of phosphorylated Smad2, COL1A1, and α-SMA was analyzed, and …

Dual-Layer Biphasic Calcium Phosphates/Tantalum Pentoxide Coating On Titanium For Concurrent Biocorrosion Resistance And Enhanced Biocompatibility, Ying-Sui Sun, Kai-Yi Lin, Wei-Cheng Chen, Her-Hsiung Huang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Titanium (Ti) dental implants must resist biocorrosion while maintaining biocompatibility. This study developed a dual-layer biphasic calcium phosphates/tantalum pentoxide (BCPs/Ta₂O₅) coating on Ti to improve both biocorrosion resistance and biological performance.

Materials and methods: A dense Ta₂O₅ inner layer was fabricated via a hydrolysis–condensation process to act as a corrosion barrier. Subsequently, a porous BCPs outer layer was deposited by electrochemical cathodic deposition to provide a bioactive interface. Surface morphology, functional groups, crystalline structure, wettability, surface free energy, coating thickness and nanostructure, protein adsorption, and in vitro bioactivity were characterized. Biocorrosion behavior was evaluated using polarization curve measurements in …

Developing Anti-Inflammatory Mineral Trioxide Aggregate As Dental Implant Crown Cement To Reduce Peri-Implantitis Incidence, Yung-Fu Hsu, Sea-Fue Wang, Yi-Le Liao, Chih-Sheng Lin, Ssu-Chi Chen, Sheng-Yang Lee, Wei-Chun Lin

Journal of Dental Sciences

背景/目的：牙周組織周圍的牙科樹脂黏固劑殘留是植體周圍炎的原因之一。嚴重病例可能導致植體鬆動或脫落。因此，本研究旨在對礦物三氧化物聚集體（MTA）進行改性，使其成為一種抗發炎的牙科植體冠黏固劑（ICC）。

材料與方法：本研究評估了去離子水溶液（Daq）、羥基磷灰石溶液（Haq）和氯化鈣溶液（Caq）對ICC凝固時間、抗壓強度、黏結強度和生物相容性的影響。以單因子變異數分析（ANOVA）檢定各實驗組間的差異（ P < 0.05）。

結果：表面微觀結構分析表明，添加Haq和Caq有助於ICC顆粒間的結合。表面元素分析表明，添加Haq增加了Ca離子含量。凝固時間結果表明，與Daq相比，Caq和Haq分別使最終凝固時間縮短了46.5%和34.7%（ P < 0.05）。 Caq的抗壓強度分別比Daq和Haq高35.1%和13.4%（ P < 0.05）。三種ICC組的黏接強度結果表明，樹脂黏接劑的效果相同（ P > 0.05）。生物相容性和清除活性測試表明，ICC優於樹脂黏接劑。

結論： ICC與Caq合併使用可縮短凝固時間、提高抗壓強度、增強生物相容性並降低發炎發生的可能性。因此，ICC與Caq聯合使用可作為牙科樹脂黏固劑的替代方案。