Digital Commons Network^™

Adolescent Girls’ Experiences Of Digital Dating Abuse Through Social Media: A Scoping Review, Kiara E. Rodriguez

Social Work Theses

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a prevalent adverse childhood experience with lasting psychological and behavioral consequences. As adolescents increasingly engage with social media, with 95% of teens aged 13-17 reporting using it, digital spaces have become a significant context in which dating abuse can occur. Digital dating abuse (DDA) refers to patterns of abusive behaviors that are directed toward a dating partner through digital technologies, including social media and mobile phones. Despite the growing role of social media in adolescent relationships, research on how adolescent girls experience DDA in these contexts remains limited. The central question for this scoping review …

Oral Health Access Among Ethnic Minority Older Adults In The United States, Jasleen K. Sodhi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oral healthcare is a critical yet often overlooked component of overall health among U.S. adults. Ethnic minorities for older adults face heightened risks of poor oral health and related health conditions, while experiencing disparities in access to care. This study aimed to systematically examine and synthesize existing literature to assess the extent to which oral health disparities exist among ethnic minority older adults in the U.S. and explore the roles of socioeconomic factors on these disparities. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, we conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles published in English …

Findings And Recommendations From The State Of The Art (Sota) Conference On Nursing Research To Improve Veteran Outcomes, Amelia E Schlak, Sarah Krein, Laura A Petersen, David Atkins, Catherine Battaglia, Elizabeth Burkhart, Renee Colsch, Marguerite Daus, Heather Gilmartin, Nipa Kamdar, Melissa Knox, Ann Kutney-Lee, Christine M Olney, Kathryn Rugen, Tracy Weistreich, Sheila Cox Sullivan, On Behalf The Nursing Sota Planning Committee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest employer of nurses in the United States, has more than 120,000 nursing personnel providing care to over 9 million Veterans across diverse settings. Despite nursing's central role in delivering and sustaining care, research on strengthening the nursing workforce and optimizing nursing practice has remained underdeveloped in VHA. To address this gap, VHA's Office of Research and Development, in partnership with the Office of Nursing Services, convened a State of the Art (SOTA) conference in November 2023 focused on nursing. The Nursing SOTA brought together nurses, researchers, operational leaders, and other stakeholders to review …

1981, Carliss N. Chatman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

42 U.S.C. § 1981 should have solved a pervasive problem in American capitalism—when white economic interests do not converge with the contract rights of Black people, they are excluded from the market in a way that causes systemic harm. This Article proposes that the failure to enforce 1981 in the past may render it more harmful than beneficial in the present climate of retrenchment. The realities of racism combine with the lack of economic interest convergence to make combatting contract inequality on a contract-by-contract basis legally precarious, nearly impossible to properly evaluate, and difficult to economically incentivize. This is in …

A Case Of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Deepa Nuthalapati, Natalie Kuo-Hsuan Yang, Rajiv Shah, Valerie Sinkler

South Atlantic Division GME Research Days 2026

No abstract provided.

Strategies And Challenges For The Recruitment Of Young Healthy Participants In The Dietary Approaches To Longevity And Health (Dial Health) Pilot Trial, Hannah E Cabre, Courtney M Peterson, Gareth R Dutton, Kimberly L Drews, Stephanie T Broyles, Robert Dubin, Laura Q Rogers, Catherine Champagne, Dennis T Villareal, Daniel S Hsia, Leanne M Redman, Corby K Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Understanding the impact of nutrition on human aging requires long-term trials in young, healthy, unmedicated adults. As part of the Dietary Approaches for Longevity and Health (DiAL Health) pilot project, we evaluated strategies for recruiting this population for aging-related dietary intervention studies.

Methods: We analyzed recruitment costs to enroll 70 participants (ages 25-49, BMI 22.0-29.9 kg/m2) across two DiAL Health sites and used NHANES data (2017-March 2020) to estimate the proportion of U.S. adults meeting partial trial eligibility. Additionally, a formative study surveyed 492 U.S. adults (≥18 years) to assess interest in aging-focused dietary trials.

Results: Of 2049 applicants …

[Introduction To] Shakers At The Center : Manifesting Spirits & Spectacles In Nineteenth-Century America, Douglas L. Winiarski

Bookshelf

Edited by Douglas WIniarski.

"Exploring the theological, social, and cultural dimensions of one of America’s most ambitious prophetic movements

The Shakers’ Era of Manifestations ranks among the most astounding events in American religious history. During the 1840s, members of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing embarked on an audacious project of receiving visions, revelations, and other manifestations from the spirit world and convincing both themselves and the world’s people of their reality. Gifted Shakers known as “instruments” surrendered their bodies to possessing spirits and celestial beings who, in turn, provided the Believers with an unimaginable number of …

An Insidious Interstice: Understanding Cognition And Language Behaviour Through The Eyes Of Juvenile Justice Professionals, Anne M. Perrotti, Allison T. Chappell, Tancy Vandecar-Burdin

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Introduction

Despite evidence suggesting language and cognition deficits are prevalent for justice involved youth, little research explores how juvenile justice personnel experience language and cognition behaviours in the youth they serve.

Aims

This qualitative study explored how juvenile justice personnel understand language and cognition skills and deficits in justice involved youth.

Methods

Twenty-two U.S. juvenile justice professionals participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Questions focused on individual understanding of receptive language, expressive language, social communication, and cognition (i.e., problem-solving, predicting consequences and impulsiveness) in juveniles served. Using a phenomenological lens, transcripts were coded identifying themes and sub-themes of participant responses.

Results …

Congenital Syphilis: From Near-Elimination To Crisis, Chad J Abresch, Irene A Stafford, Regan M Johnson, Kayode Olabanji, Ashleigh M Sutphen, Helen E Cejtin, Ashley Hoover

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This analytic essay examines the transformation of congenital syphilis (CS) in the United States from near-elimination to crisis. Drawing from the January 2025 Congenital Syphilis Summit in Atlanta, Georgia-convening public health leaders, Tribal health departments, the National Coalition of STD Directors, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts-we contrast prevention systems during near-elimination (1998-2005) with the current crisis (2018-2025). Evidence revealed how dismantling public health infrastructure produced dramatically different outcomes, with CS cases increasing 937% over the past decade and racial/ethnic disparities worsening. American Indian/Alaska Native communities face rates up to 100 times higher than White populations in some …

Physical Activity, Telomere Length, And Cardiometabolic Syndrome In Older Women: The Cardiovascular Health Study, Jeni Page, Melissa Richard, Elizabeth Lyons, Elizabeth Baumler, M Terese Verklan, Michelle C Odden, Elizabeth Lorenzo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cardiometabolic syndrome (CMS) affects approximately 39% of US women and increases risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. Telomere length, a biomarker of cellular aging, is associated with CMS and may be influenced by physical activity (PA), potentially mitigating telomere shortening. Black women have higher CMS prevalence compared to white women and may exhibit distinct telomere length dynamics influenced by interactions between CMS and PA.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Cardiovascular Health Study and included black and white women who provided data on PA, CMS risk factors, and telomere length (N = 417). Linear regression models examined the …

When Clades Collide: Genomic Admixture In Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes Scapularis) From The Great Plains, Kaylee S. Herzog, Zach Pella, Halie Smith, Dayna Mccormick, Lily Nuss, Amanda Brinkworth, Sujata S. Chaudhari, Kathryn Duncan, Kellee Sundstrom, Sydney Stein, Holly Black, Jose E. Pietri, Ryan C. Smith, Jeff Hamik, Roberto Cortiñas, Joseph R. Fauver

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

Ixodes scapularis ticks transmit a number of pathogens important to human health, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative agent of Lyme disease. While I. scapularis is found across the Eastern United States, Lyme disease transmission is largely limited to the Northeast and Upper Midwest and is nearly absent in the South. This indicates that differences in northern versus southern clades of I. scapularis are associated with differences in Lyme disease transmission risk. Ixodes scapularis is undergoing range expansion, including into the Great Plains region of the United States. Determining where I. scapularis populations in the Great Plains originated can …

From Global Norms To Local Implementation: The Sendai Framework, Disaster Risk Reduction, And Human Rights In The United States, Madelyn Schutte

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the extent to which the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and a human rights-based approach (HRBA) are reflected in local level hazard mitigation plans in the United States. This study utilizes a directed qualitative content analysis of a local hazard mitigation plan, using McLean County, Illinois, as a single case study. The Sendai Framework and a HRBA are moderately reflected in McLean County’s hazard mitigation plan, with the most significant omission being a comprehensive discussion of the disproportionate risks faced by vulnerable populations. The results indicate that FEMA guidelines for hazard mitigation plans likely do not …

Immigration Securitization And Educational Access: The Impact Of U.S. Immigration Policy On International Students, Cossir Carter

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examines the securitization of international students within the broader transformation of United States immigration policy from the post-9/11 era to the present administration. Following the September 11 attacks, immigration governance was increasingly reorganized under a national security framework, significantly altering the regulatory environment surrounding student visas. Subsequent policy shifts have intensified monitoring mechanisms and administrative controls that directly shape international students’ access to education and mobility. Given the sensitivity of immigration-related participation in the current political climate, this research employs qualitative policy analysis rather than direct student surveys. Under the Trump administration, this securitization intensified through stricter visa …

Modeling Determinants Of Significant Noncompliance In The U.S. Mining Sector: A Fixed Effects Logistic Regression Approach, Eli Johnson

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study examines environmental compliance behavior among mining facilities regulated under the U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA). Using a national quarterly panel of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)-permitted mining facilities, the analysis evaluates whether local socioeconomic and demographic indicators are associated with the likelihood that a facility enters significant noncompliance (SNC) status. Facility compliance histories are compiled from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database and is merged with county- and state-level socioeconomic indicators and election data. A fixed-effects logistic regression model is used to account for time-invariant facility heterogeneity. The results suggest that …

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 …

The United States' Nuclear Deterrent Outlook: Strategies, Challenges, And Future Prospects, Jonathon L. Beening

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study contends that the United States cannot sustain a credible nuclear deterrent through the mid-21st century without modernizing its aging nuclear arsenal and revising its nuclear doctrine to address emerging technological, geopolitical, and strategic threats posed by both near-peer adversaries and non-state actors. Through an examination of deterrence theory, historical developments, current force posture, modernization initiatives, doctrinal debates, counterarguments, and prospective geopolitical scenarios, this research assesses the adequacy of existing policies in maintaining strategic stability. The analysis concludes that credible deterrence in the coming decades will require integrated modernization, doctrinal clarity, and strategic adaptability to face any future threat …

Implementing Climate Remedies, Camila Bustos

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Climate change litigation has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing the climate crisis, particularly in the face of executive and legislative inaction. Across jurisdictions, courts have issued landmark decisions mandating stronger mitigation targets and recognizing rights-based claims against governments and corporations. While recent scholarship has examined the trends, legal theories, and broader effects of this relatively new phenomenon, it has primarily focused on bringing and winning legal challenges. Less attention has been paid to a crucial phase: the implementation and enforcement of judicial rulings. A deeper understanding of how climate remedies are implemented can provide valuable insights for climate …

The Impact Of Pasifikas In Medicine On Pacific Islander Medical Student Experiences, Devon Hori Harvey, Micah Ngatuvai, Siale Vaitohi, Paige E. Faasuamalie, Maegan Tupinio, Lisa H. Smith

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

BACKGROUND: Pacific Islanders experience significant health disparities. One contributing aspect to these disparities is the lack of racial concordance as Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in the U.S. physician work force. Several factors contribute to this underrepresentation including lack of support systems for Pacific Islander premed and medical students. Pasifikas in Medicine (PiM) is a recently established national student organization founded to provide support for Pacific Islander premed students, medical students, residents, fellows and attending physicians. This study seeks to understand the impact of PiM on medical student experiences.

METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed to the PiM listserv and to …

Star Wars And Gender In 1980s America, Melissa Ulmer

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

This research paper examines the role of gender in the franchise Star Wars. With the first installment of the trilogy released in 1977, many expected this film would turn out like many before. However, the world that George Lucas created was an instant hit and continues to be today. This paper focuses on how the franchise was set apart from other science fiction films based on a defiance of typical gender roles that were prevalent in the late twentieth century, specifically focusing on the two leading roles, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, and employing analysis of the films, cast …

Mental Health Stigma: Promoting Compassionate Care In The U.S. Healthcare System, Wuraola R. Awosan, Fredrick O. Akinyosoye, Perseverance N. Moyo, Akuchinyere O. Titus-Okpanachi, Giordana Morales, Emmanuel N. Clottey

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

Mental illness-related stigma is a pervasive issue that permeates every facet of psychiatric care. This phenomenon, which manifests at the societal or structural, individual, and public levels, presents a barrier to equitable and compassionate care in the U.S. healthcare system, leading to care avoidance and poor health outcomes. This systematic review aims to synthesize evidence on the forms of mental health stigma within the U.S. healthcare setting and identify strategies that foster compassionate care among healthcare professionals. Following PRISMA guidelines, a methodical search of peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 was conducted in three databases – APA PsychInfo, CINAHL …

A Comparative Analysis Of Domestic Violence Legislation In India And The United States: Understanding Protection Of Women Against Violence Act 2005 And Violence Against Women Act 1994, Deon Rodrigues

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Domestic violence continues to affect millions of individuals worldwide, yet legal systems respond to it in very different ways. This research compares how India’s Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (2005) and the United States’ Violence Against Women Act (1994; 2021) protect victims and hold offenders accountable. Using a comparative legal analysis, the study examines both laws’ language, enforcement mechanisms, and effectiveness through court cases, government reports, and statistical data. By identifying the strengths of the United States model such as mandatory arrest provisions and victim support systems, the study aims to propose practical reforms for India’s legal framework. …

Investigating The Polygenic Relationship Between Heavy Cannabis Use And Schizophrenia In The All Of Us Research Program, Isabelle Austin-Zimmerman, Hayley H A Thorpe, John J Meredith, Jibran Y Khokhar, Tian Ge, Marta Di Forti, Arpana Agrawal, Emma C Johnson, Sandra Sanchez-Roige

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Decades of research have identified a strong association between heavy cannabis use and schizophrenia (SCZ), with evidence of correlated genetic factors. However, many studies on the genetic relationship between cannabis use and psychosis have lacked data on both phenotypes within the same individuals, creating challenges due to unmeasured confounding. We aimed to address this by using multimodal data from the All of Us Research Program, which contains genetic data as well as information on SCZ diagnosis and cannabis use.

METHODS: We tested the association between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and SCZ polygenic scores (PGSs) with SCZ and heavy cannabis …

Transdiagnostic Links Of Reward Processing In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Depression, Kevin M Wagner, Matti Cervin, Jessica S C Cheng, Jasmine Arriaga, Vanessa Zavala Cruz, Dayan Berrones, Josselyn S Muñoz, Renee M Frederick, Jacey L Anderberg, Belinda E Núñez Bracho, Victor R Adorno, Leonardo F Fontenelle, Andrew D Wiese, Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative For Ocd Genomics (Latino), Brazilian Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorder Working Group (Gttoc), James J Crowley, Eric A Storch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Transdiagnostic models aim to uncover shared mechanisms across mental disorders. Reward responsiveness (the ability to experience pleasure from rewarding stimuli) is a plausible, yet underexplored, transdiagnostic mechanism linking obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. This study used network analysis to (1) examine how key reward responsiveness domains are interlinked in individuals with OCD and (2) explore how each domain is uniquely associated with OCD and depression.

Methods: A total of 1345 individuals with a history of OCD symptoms (ages 18-88, 71 % women) from Latino communities in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and nine Latin American countries completed validated …

Comparative Study Of Vocal Pedagogy Systems In South Korea And The United States: Developmental Strategies For Classical Voice Education In South Korea, Dongmin Byeon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation presents a comparative study of vocal pedagogy systems in South Korea and the United States, with the aim of identifying deficiencies in Korean higher education and proposing strategies for reform. While South Korean university voice programs are deeply rooted in the traditional master–apprentice model and rely heavily on anecdotal teaching methods, U.S. institutions have developed structured, evidence-based pedagogical frameworks informed by anatomy, physiology, acoustics, and voice science. This research explores the historical evolution of vocal pedagogy in both countries, highlighting how traditional practices in Korea, though culturally significant, have not sufficiently adapted to contemporary scientific standards.

Employing qualitative …

Genetics Of Aluminum Tolerance And Diversity In United States Vigna Unguiculata Germplasm, Max Carl Miller

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an annual legume of immense importance across the world. However, knowledge of its ability to tolerate aluminum (Al) at toxic levels is not as comprehensive. This stress is an issue globally and especially in the southeastern United States, which has many Al-toxic soils. Here we determined multiple cultivars both tolerant and susceptible to Al toxicity. This was expounded upon by employing RNA sequencing on two cultivars from the United States with significantly different tolerance levels to characterize genes and pathways associated with Al toxicity and response. Multiple well-established gene orthologs like STOP, STAR, and …

Ticking Away: A Study On How Multiple Sclerosis Patients In The Us And Australia Navigate Their Day, Ella M. Stahl

Honors Theses

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that damages the nervous system. Individuals diagnosed with MS experience a wide variety of symptoms, the most common being fatigue and numbness in the hands and feet. This disease affects close to three million people worldwide. Current research shows that individuals with chronic conditions spend more time managing their medical issues, therefore impacting their quality of life. This study compares time use of Multiple Sclerosis patients in the US and Australia. The central investigative question is: what are the differences and similarities in time use of those diagnosed with MS in the United …

Long-Term Illness In Adults Hospitalized For Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease, United States, February 2022-September 2023, Aleda M Leis, Jennie H Kwon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause severe illness, but little is known about long-term consequences in hospitalized adults. We surveyed adults (>18 years of age) who survived hospitalization for RSV or COVID-19 during February 2022-September 2023 about physical functioning and quality of life; surveys were conducted 6-12 months after hospitalization. We compared outcomes after RSV hospitalization by age (< 60 vs. >60 years) and to those hospitalized for COVID-19 by using multivariable regression models. Among 146 adults hospitalized with RSV, 27.4% reported severe breathlessness and 21.9% poor quality of life at follow-up. Few differences were seen in posthospital illness by age. …

Adverse Experiences, Protective Factors, And Obesity In Latinx And Hispanic Youths, Victoria Goldman, Sevan Esaian, Miguel Ángel Rivas Fernández, Jonatan Ottino Gonzalez, Nicole Karcher, Jeffrey I Gold, Alaina P Vidmar, Shana Adise

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Pediatric obesity rates are rising, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may contribute by promoting stress-induced weight gain. Few studies have examined the association of ACEs with body mass index (BMI) and youth-reported protective factors, particularly among Latinx and Hispanic youths, who face higher rates of ACEs and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of ACEs with BMI in a population-based cohort and determine whether youth-reported protective factors (eg, self-coping skills, caregiver or friend support, or overall support) moderate this association, with a focus on Latinx and Hispanic youths.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This large, cross-sectional study of youths aged …

Knowing One's Place At The Table: Taste As A Means Of Othering In The American Colonies, 1700-1775, Nicholas Harp

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

This thesis began as an inquiry into a simple question. How did people in the American colonies talk about the food that they ate? This question led to a fascinating look into the social dynamics of the people living in eighteenth century America. Their own personal writings demonstrate how they understood their place in society through the food that they ate. Moreover, they often wrote about the way that other people ate in ways that alienated or discriminated against different ethnic groups. A look into the secondary historiography revealed that other historians had noticed this trend. However, very few addressed …

The Impact Of The 2008 Financial Crisis On Crime And Cybercrime In The United States, Rashed Adel Alsuwaidi

Theses

This thesis will examine how the traditional crime and cy- were affected by the 2008 financial crisis. United States are also experiencing a rise in crime between 2005 and 2012. Based on the FBI data at the national level. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), Uniform Crime Reports and important economic indicators. The study, which involves tors, including unemployment, GDP, rates of foreclosures, and mortgage rates, is a combination. correlationbased interpretation supported by exploratory descriptive trend analysis. model-fit checks. The results indicate that contrary to the conventional expectations, violent and property crime also maintained their long-term reduction during the period …