Digital Commons Network^™

First-Year Seminar’S Influence On Thriving In First-Year Students, Chelsea Miller

Dissertations

First-year students struggle with attrition. Prevention of attrition has various interventions on such first-year seminars. Typically, these interventions use academic outcomes to measure effectiveness. Prior research supports that students enrolled in first-year seminar benefit academically from the intervention. However, these outcomes do not fully capture all the possible benefits of this intervention. This leaves room for research on other possible outcomes. Thriving as a construct incorporates both academic and social elements. Thriving is a possible outcome that could capture the benefits of first-year seminars. This study examined how much of the variance in thriving was explained by participation in first-year …

The Paradox Of Twice-Exceptional Teacher Experience: A Narrative And Visual Inquiry, Michael Danielle Bell

Dissertations

Twice-exceptional (2e) individuals, those with high cognitive ability and concurrent disabilities, have been the primary focus in K-12 research, yet they largely disappeared from research as adults. This narrative inquiry examined the lived experiences of three 2e educators navigating the public school system. Grounded in the Neurodiversity Paradigm and the Social Model of Disability, the study utilized semi-structured interviews and photo elicitation to externalize the sensory and cognitive realities of 2e educators through an affirmative, strengths-based lens. Narrative analysis revealed a central synthesis of the paradox of 2e educator experiences that highlighted participants’ neurodivergent traits as simultaneously their greatest professional …

Exploring Predictors Of First-Time National Council Licensure Exam For Registered Nurses Next Generation Success In Bachelor Of Science In Nursing Program To Determine The Need For Remediation, Ashton Clarkson

Dissertations

Passing the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) on the first attempt is crucial not only for nursing students but also for nursing programs and employers. Nursing programs’ reputations rest on their first-time NCLEX pass rates for incoming students and for national accreditation (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 2023; Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 2024; Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation, 2021). Also, the United States is experiencing a nursing shortage that could be alleviated by more nurses passing the NCLEX-RN on the first try. This quantitative study aimed to determine whether there is predictive ability between the …

Real-Time Adaptable Residential Kitchen: A Plug-In Standard, Rachel Fuelberth

Masters in Architecture Program: Theses

This thesis looks at how a real-time adaptable standard could be put in place within the modern kitchen to allow for equitable use of the space by numerous members of the household and their differing physical characteristics. The residential kitchen is a fundamentally exclusionary architectural construction designed around able-bodied, average-height adults. This excludes children, the elderly, anyone outside of the average height, and people with mobility differences. The kitchen has never been a place of equity. It has been designed to be used by an average-height female, and it does not account for the discomfort of those outside this norm. …

Decomposition Study Using Pigs In Southeastern Nebraska During The Fall And Winter Seasons, Ryan Bodine

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

When an individual is found deceased, one of the tools used in the identification process is estimating the post-mortem interval (PMI). This estimate is used to determine how long an individual has been deceased once their remains are found. To estimate an accurate PMI, knowing how decomposition is affected by external factors is key. The transition period from fall to winter in southeastern Nebraska consists of fluctuating temperatures as the seasons transfer from fall to winter. This thesis investigates how decomposition is affected during this transition period while also looking at two different environments that are common in Nebraska, prairies …

Exploring The Biocultural Profile Of The Undocumented Populations Of The Sonoran Corridor: A Skeletal Assessment Of The Prevention Through Deterrence Strategy, Mary A. Vaughn

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Over the last thirty years the mortality rate of the undocumented population at the US-Mexico border has risen, requiring methods distinguishing US-born individuals from immigrants to improve the likelihood of identification and repatriation through foreign consulates. Forensic anthropologists with the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner (PCOME) have advocated for the use of the biocultural profile, combining the biological profile with factors including oral health, osteological stress, and personal effects. The biocultural profile serves two purposes, functioning both as a tool for identification and with which to document structural inequality within communities of origin.

This study examines changes in …

Fret Studies On The Binding Of Fibroblast Growth Factor (Fgf) Proteins To The Hard Corona Of Cuins2-Based Quantum Dots, Colette Robinson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) has been shown to be an important protein in angiogenesis, which is critical in developmental biology and wound healing but has also been implicated in cancer metastasis. FGF interacts with an FGF Receptor (FGFR) to signal the onset of angiogenesis but the detailed mechanism of angiogenesis, and particularly its regulation, is still largely unknown. Imaging the interaction of FGF with FGFR in biologically-relevant environments, such as directly in cells, is key towards furthering this understanding and may eventually aid in the development of better cancer treatments. CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are an attractive fluorescent probe to …

Nadh Flim Reveals Cellular Bioenergetics And Mitochondrial Morphology During Drosophila Convergent Extension, Maria Espana Pena

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that can fragment or fuse to support different bioenergetic demands and cellular processes, although the role of mitochondrial fission and fusion during embryonic development is not well understood. Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) of the mitochondrial cofactor NADH can be used to visualize mitochondrial networks and infer aspects of cellular bioenergetics in a label-free manner. We used NADH FLIM to test whether germband cells undergo changes in cellular metabolism during Drosophila convergent extension (CE)––a process in which hundreds of epithelial cells undergo coordinated intercalation to elongate the embryo. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe significant …

A Rare Case Of Gastric Ascariasis, Sharon Pan, Kevin Yu, Blaine A Mathison, Yan Gao, Marc Roger Couturier, Salem Muayad, Violeta Chávez, Ranya Selim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Ascariasis, caused by the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides, is one of the most common helminthic infections globally. Spread by contaminated soil through the fecal-oral route, A. lumbricoides typically infects the small intestine and has rarely been reported to infect the stomach.

Case summary: We describe an unusual case of a male in his 30s with a history of neuroendocrine tumor (NET) who immigrated from Colombia and who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy for further evaluation of abdominal pain. He was incidentally found to have a female Ascaris worm in his stomach that was retrieved during the EGD.

Conclusion: …

Genomic Surveillance Of Guillain–Barré Syndrome-Associated Genes In Campylobacter Jejuni Across Human And Non-Human Reservoirs, Emma Doughty

Biological Sciences

Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodborne illness and a major trigger of Guillain–Barré Syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune neuropathy caused by molecular mimicry between bacterial lipooligosaccharides (LOS) and host nerve gangliosides. While prior genomic studies have focused primarily on human clinical isolates, the prevalence and distribution of GBS-associated genes in non-human reservoirs remain poorly characterized. This study used genomic datasets derived from analyses of human and non-human C. jejuni isolates to assess the distribution of GBS-associated genes, with a focus on the neuABC sialylation pathway. Results demonstrate that these genes are present in both host types, across multiple geographic …

Alternative Abl1 Isoform Expression In Oncogenic Translocations: Implications For Cancer Progression, Jessica Teague

Biological Sciences

Abstract (also on poster): Previous studies in our lab show that an alternate isoform of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, BTK-C, is required for the survival of several epithelial-derived cancer cells. BTK-C is transcribed from an alternative promoter and includes a 34-amino-acid N- terminal extension with a palmitoylation sequence that alters its subcellular localization. Nine other human kinases have similar alternative N-termini (ANT), often producing palmitoylated or non-palmitoylated isoforms from different transcriptional start sites. Among these, ABL1 is a known oncogenic kinase and key drug target. Translocation mutations at the 5′ end of ABL1 are a major cause of adult leukemias. This …

Donor And Recipient Microbiome Interactions Determine Functional Outcomes Of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation For Clostridioides Difficile Infection, Sophie A. Millard

All Dissertations

Clostridioides difficile is a major cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea. Infection typically occurs after antibiotic treatment disrupts the gut microbiome, allowing C. difficile to colonize and produce toxins leading to disease (CDI). Standard antibiotic treatments can resolve acute infection but frequently lead to recurrence, highlighting the need for alternative strategies that restore the gut ecosystem. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), the transfer of stool from a healthy donor, has emerged as an effective therapy for recurrent C. difficile infection (rCDI). Understanding the mechanisms underlying the success of FMT for treatment of rCDI could lead to safer, more defined microbial mixtures.

This dissertation …

Investigation Of Low-Pressure Mercury Lamp System Configurations And Xenon Excimer Lamp System Development As Vacuum Ultraviolet Sources For Optimal Photolytic Degradation Of Poly-/Perfluoroalkyl Substances, Eman Zuhair Alhamdan

All Dissertations

PFAS are persistent synthetic chemicals, with unique properties that enable them to easily enter and accumulate in water sources. Their public health impacts have raised concern and highlighted the need for effective treatment. Numerous techniques for PFAS removal from water have been studied, few have proven the ability of breaking down PFAS rather than separating and concentrating it. Many of these methods are chain-length dependent, showing slower degradation rate of short-chain PFAS and requiring substantial amounts of energy, and chemical agents that may produce byproducts.

Among available PFAS destruction methods, direct photolysis by high-energy UV with wavelength below 200 nm …

Nonprofit Youth Sports Governance Structures As Contexts For Positive Youth Development: How Usa Swimming's Local Swimming Committee Boards Provide The "Big Three" Of Positive Youth Development Settings, Emily B. Swett

All Dissertations

This study examines positive youth development (PYD) within youth sports governance, specifically USA Swimming's Local Swimming Committee (LSC) boards of directors, a context largely overlooked in PYD research, which typically focuses on on-field experiences.

Using the "Big Three" PYD framework (positive youth-adult relationships, life skill-building opportunities, and youth leadership and contribution), the study employed an explanatory mixed methods design. A quantitative survey was distributed to LSC athlete and non-athlete board members, followed by semi-structured interviews.

Survey data from 27 athletes and 157 non-athletes revealed strong levels of all "Big Three" components across both groups. Statistical analyses found no significant differences …

Towards Dementia-Inclusive Digital Text-Based Health Information: A Multi-Method Investigation Of Cognitive And Affective Accessibility, Margi Engineer

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines the accessibility, readability, emotional tone, and trustworthiness of digital, text‑based dementia information and investigates how older adults with and without dementia cognitively and affectively engage with such content. It further explores the potential of generative AI to improve dementia information delivery through the development of a domain‑specific retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) large language model (LLM) chatbot designed to deliver accessible, stigma‑free information. The dissertation comprises four studies using complementary quantitative and qualitative methods. Study I conducts a large‑scale content analysis of 300 medical articles, 35 websites, and 50 blogs, applying readability metrics, LIWC‑based linguistic and sentiment analysis, and …

Learning Global Context For Sparse Activity Recognition In Lengthy Recordings With Limited Dataset Size, Zeyu Tang

All Dissertations

This dissertation describes methods to analyze lengthy recordings of data in order to detect sparsely occurring activities. The narrative below describes the progression of research that led to the development of these methods and their generalization into a unified framework. My research started with designing models for dietary monitoring, including detecting meals from day-long recordings and detecting intake gestures from meal-length recordings. Both tasks share some common characteristics: (a) the target event takes only a small portion of data recordings, and (b) there is global context within full-length data recordings that can help a model make better decisions. After finishing …

Versatile Exoskeleton Control Paradigms For Agile Human Locomotion: Task-Agnostic And Stability-Augmented Assistance, Miao Yu

All Dissertations

Lower-limb exoskeletons have shown great potential for assisting human locomotion, but designing controllers that provide assistance across diverse locomotor tasks and under external perturbations remains a major challenge. Many existing controllers for steady-state walking rely on pre-defined reference trajectories, which constrain voluntary human motion and limit adaptability across tasks. Moreover, they usually assume stable walking, while their performance under unstable conditions remains largely unexplored. In addition, existing gait stability augmentation controllers are often reactive rather than proactive to unstable conditions. In this dissertation, we propose control frameworks that preserve voluntary human motion while addressing two major challenges: providing task-agnostic assistance …

Participatory Land Management In A Dynamic Coastal, Wilderness Landscape: Stakeholder Engagement, Public Land Disinvestment, And A Paradox At Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, Kelly Alvidrez

All Dissertations

Federal coastal protected areas in the United States are increasingly shaped by intersecting social, ecological, and institutional pressures, including climate change, amenity-driven population growth, rising visitation, and sustained public land disinvestment. Within this context, Participatory Land Management (PLM) has been promoted as a mechanism to enhance legitimacy, incorporate local knowledge, and foster shared stewardship. However, the implementation of PLM within U.S. federal land agencies remains under-theorized, particularly in ecologically dynamic landscapes that have designated wilderness. This dissertation examines PLM at Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, a federally managed coastal refuge embedded within a rapidly changing social-ecological system and constrained by …

Sustainability Hub Newsletter - May 2026, Annaliese Santoro, Neyda Gilman, Jennifer Embree

Library Sustainability Resources

Happy spring Bearcats! Time to finally enjoy the warmth and freshness of springtime! Learn about Compost Awareness Week and how to compost yourself! Also, participate in the Move Out Project happening this May to divert waste from landfills!

From Structure To Support: An Integrative Model Of Leadership, Emotional Exhaustion, Role Clarity, And Daoist Moderation, Aradhna Mohan

Dissertations

Rooted in the understanding that effective leadership significantly influences organizational outcomes, this study examines process-oriented relationships between leader initiating structure and subordinate outcomes. Specifically, it extends the leadership literature by focusing on the cognitive resources underlying initiating structure behaviors, such as role-related clarity, that may enhance positive subordinate outcomes and mitigate negative ones. The study also incorporates an underexamined Eastern leadership style, Daoist Water-Like Leadership, and explores its associations with leader initiating structure and consideration. Guided by the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, this research assesses the effects of initiating structure and Daoist leadership on emotional exhaustion, examines the relationship between …

Adoption And The Illusion Of Choice After Dobbs V. Jackson Women’S Health, Solangel Maldonado

Cardozo Law Review

Thalia, a twenty-eight-year-old mother of two, has struggled with a substance use disorder for several years. Her children, ages five and seven, are in foster care. Thalia was homeless when she learned that she was fourteen weeks pregnant. She wanted to have an abortion, but her state banned abortions after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The closest abortion care provider in a neighboring state was 400 miles away, and a medical (non-surgical) abortion was no longer an option.

Unable to access abortion care, Thalia was forced to carry the pregnancy to term. Her …

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2024, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

The 2024 Arkansas Soybean Research Studies includes research reports on topics pertaining to soybean across several disciplines from breeding to post-harvest processing. Research reports contained in this publication may represent preliminary or only data from a single year or limited results; therefore, these results should not be used as a basis for long-term recommendations. Several research reports in this publication will appear in other University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication is the result of the overlap in research coverage between disciplines and our effort to inform Arkansas soybean producers of the research being …

Survey Of Medieval Literature On Maternal Mortality, Postpartum Care, And Birth Trauma In Relation To The Crisis In Arkansas, Paige Q. Thompson

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

When the general public thinks of childbirth in the Middle Ages, they think of death and danger. However, Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the entire United States, and many of those deaths are preventable. There have been previous analyses on different medieval texts as well as research into modern Arkansas, but none have made a direct connection between the two subjects. By analyzing medieval literature to understand cultural norms surrounding childbirth and postpartum care, patterns can be traced to modern Arkansas, where needless deaths are still prevalent. Ultimately, medieval texts demonstrate cultural attitudes surrounding blame toward women …

Addressing Low Vaccination Rates In Lewis County, New York: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study, Samantha Carter

Anthropology

Low rates of on-time human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination continue to remain a significant public health concern, particularly in rural communities, one being Lewis County NY, which reports the lowest rate of vaccination in the state.  This study, through Upstate Medical University, uses a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) model in efforts to examine barriers to HPV vaccination and identifying community-driven solutions formulated by committee members from within the community.  A steering committee composed of researchers and community members, who were also co-researchers, worked collaboratively to develop and distribute surveys to healthcare providers, dentists, and parents.  Responses revealed that while many parents …

Integrating Doulas Into The Medical Team, Alyssa Shaw

Anthropology

This thesis explores the potential integration of doulas into the obstetric medical team, defining birth as a cultural and social experience as well as a physiological process. Drawing on anthropological literature and historical accounts, I examine the shift from social, woman-centered childbirth practices to the medicalized model that occurs in modern American obstetrics. While this transformation has improved maternal and infant mortality rates, it has also caused a loss of continuous emotional and social support for laboring mothers, as well as a shift in autonomy from the birthing person to medical professionals. To investigate how doulas may help bridge this …

Microplastics And Generational Harm, Sara Najafi

Anthropology

Microplastics are persistent environmental contaminants increasingly detected in ecosystems and the human body, raising concerns about their effects on health and future generations. This paper examines the environmental pathways, biological mechanisms, and reproductive consequences of microplastic exposure, with particular attention to female reproductive health and fetal development. Current evidence indicates that microplastics can contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, DNA damage, and cellular dysfunction, while also accumulating in reproductive tissues, follicular fluid, placental tissue, and breast milk. These exposures may impair ovarian function, fetal development, and long-term health outcomes. The paper also considers environmental inequalities that may increase exposure …

Modeling Water Quality And Cyanobacteria Blooms In St. Lucie Estuary, Florida, Mohmmad Masudur Rahman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The St. Lucie Estuary (SLE) on Florida’s east coast is vital for diverse aquatic life and provides essential services to local communities. However, the estuary’s health is threatened by water quality deterioration due to nutrient-driven phytoplankton blooms, particularly cyanobacteria, which have increased in frequency over recent decades. These blooms may worsen water quality by reducing dissolved oxygen, altering pH, and increasing turbidity. Moreover, some phytoplankton species, including Microcystis aeruginosa, a freshwater cyanobacteria species, produce harmful toxins, posing risks to both marine aquatic life and human health in this area. Primary nutrient sources in this estuary include watershed freshwater discharges, …

Influence Of Asd On Morality, Spencer Brown

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Autism is known as a developmental disorder that incurs a social skills deficit on those that have it. This social skills deficit has been proposed to affect further aspects of autistic people’s psychology such as empathy and morality. Studies using the moral stages theory of development have found that those with autism are deficient in these proposed social skills. However, further research into how morality and empathy, as well as the results of experiments looking into morality in autistic populations, have brought the accuracy of moral reasoning into doubt. In the present paper, we review the literature on how empathy, …

Monastic Design: Recovering The Sacred, Thomas Larkin Derek Crompton

Architecture Theses

Throughout history, transcendental meaning has been woven into the very fabric of architecture to awaken and attune our souls toward a greater understanding of the inherent, unquantifiable aspects of life. Design elements such as light, material, proportion, and mystery were used as communicators of meaning rather than merely tools of utility. However, with the rise of positivism in the modern period, many transcendental elements of design were disregarded in favor of a more functionalist approach. The strategies employed by this approach influenced much of modern religious architecture and have resulted in many churches that lack the fundamental principle they claim …

Threshold: Transitional Living For Former Foster Youth, Regan Cole

Architecture Theses

Threshold is a transitional living facility designed for former foster youth aging into adulthood and independent living. The project explores how architecture can move beyond providing shelter to support healing, stability, dignity, and personal growth for individuals who have experienced displacement, institutionalization, and housing insecurity. Grounded in trauma-informed design principles and philosophical theories of dwelling, belonging, and liminality, the project investigates how space can transform transition from a condition of uncertainty into one of becoming. Located in Brookfield, Illinois, the facility integrates housing with educational programs, job training, counseling, healthcare, childcare, and communal spaces within a single supportive environment. The …