Digital Commons Network^™

Rethinking Resource Exploitation: Shared Capitalist Motivations In Ghana’S Gold Mining Sector, Benedicta Donkor

Senior Theses

The relationship between Chinese involvement in Ghana's gold mining sector and its impact on sovereignty, development, and resource governance has ignited significant debate. While neo-colonial frameworks often dominate discussions, this thesis argues that such perspectives oversimplify the complex dynamics at play. Instead, Chinese involvement is better understood as mutual capitalist exploitation, where both Chinese and Ghanaian actors are driven by shared profit motives within a global capitalist system. This mutual exploitation is enabled by weak governance, regulatory gaps, and systemic corruption, creating a permissive environment for resource exploitation at the expense of societal and environmental well-being. The thesis critically examines …

Not Just Another 2000 Word Written Mfa Thesis, Taylor Cleveland

Art Theses and Dissertations

This thesis challenges the standardized academic expectations placed upon studio-based MFA programs, using the process of writing itself as a site of institutional critique. Emerging from a 27,000-word working draft titled Aesthetics of Real, this final text adopts the permitted format of an “extended artist statement” to expose contradictions within institutional frameworks. It resists the assumption that professionalism and compliance equate to intellectual rigor, arguing that true artistic inquiry demands risk, failure, and confrontation with systemic norms. Through works like 3MUSTANGS, Facades of Dallas (Hall), SuperPOD0043: An American Painting, and Babel’n On, this thesis reveals …

A Zooarchaeological Analysis Of Far-North Goldrush-Era Sites, Amelia M. Jansen

Anthropology

The current accumulation of archaeological investigations at far-north Alaskan Goldrush sites either completely lack or severely underrepresent the faunal components. These data are vital and add context to past and future archaeological investigations by enabling more accurate and inclusive interpretations of life in the mining-related settlements of the far north. This research is an analysis of previously unidentified and partially identified faunal assemblages from Goldrush- era archaeological sites in Interior Alaska including Coldfoot, Fairbanks, Tofty, Wiseman, Eagle, Uhler Creek, and Marion Creek. The data generated from the analysis of these diverse sites and site types helps determine how animals were …

Control Of Invasive Plants At High Latitudes With Persistent Herbicides: Understanding Persistence, To Manage Pesticide Residues And Achieve Effective Control, Gino Graziano

Natural Resources

Invasive plants are considered a problem in management of natural resources and maintenance of ecosystem services in Alaska. Persistent herbicides are often used to control invasive plants because of increased duration and efficacy of control; however, applicators must understand that persistence impacts rotations to sensitive crops or restoration to sensitive desirable species. The purpose of this study was to define and document the impacts of aminopyralid and clopyralid degradation and movement in boreal ecosystems when used in agricultural settings or applied to Prunus padus, a problematic invasive tree in the boreal ecosystem. In laboratory microcosms clopyralid did not adsorb to …

Evaluating Sustainability Policies By Measuring Well-Being: Evidence From Mongolia, Amgalan Batsuuri

Natural Resources

The study examines the relationship between sustainability policies and resident well-being within Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's Ger district, through a case study of the 19th subdistrict of the Bayanzurkh district. The primary research question is: Are well-being attributes being used to determine the efficacy of sustainability policies? Using mixed methods, survey questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups with 30 participants across three stakeholder groups (Ger district residents, subdistrict officials, and district officials), the research identified 15 key well-being attributes. The identified well-being attributes were used to assess whether these attributes serve as efficacy determinants in sustainability policies across national, municipal, and district governance …

Kiŋikmiut Ukpuliivut: An Iňupiaq Framework For Bridging Spirituality And Stewardship In Natural Resource Management, Vernae Angnaboogok

Rural Development

Despite decades of traction and respect that Indigenous Knowledge has gained, Western and other sources of academic sciences diverge at the point of what is acceptable, what is real, and what is valid regarding Indigenous spiritual belief systems interwoven throughout Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous management practices. My project uses Kiŋikmiut1 ukpuliivut2 and iniqtautit3 as a framework to bridge the understanding for people outside our culture about how our spiritual belief system and customary Iňupiaq4 laws ensure balance and sustainability5 ofthe resources that our people depend upon. In this work, I seek to address the misconceptions that dominant Western scientific worldviews …

Sea-Ice Bloom Dynamics, Putative Parasitoids, And Crude-Oil Impacts To Microbiota Modified By Irradiance, Kyle Dilliplaine

Oceanography

Arctic sea ice serves as a critical habitat for microbial communities, supporting, in part, the Arctic food web and influencing global biogeochemical cycles. However, climate change is rapidly altering this environment leading to a shorter ice-covered period and increased light transmittance. Greater accessibility due to less ice coverage is increasing industrial and commercial activities which raises the risk of crude oil spills that threaten sea-ice microbial communities. This dissertation explores the seasonal dynamics of prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes during the spring algal bloom, and the impacts of potential light stress in combination with crude oil exposure on Arctic sea-ice diatoms …

The Musical Implications Of The Personal Relationships, Political Influences, And Culture On Seven Composers For Flute: Friedrich Kuhlau, Carl Reinecke, Franz Doppler, George Enescu, Eldin Burton, Jonathan Cohen, And Carlos Simon, Anne Weaver

Music

This project explores the influences of the personal relationships, political circumstances, and culture on the music of seven composers for flute: Friedrich Kuhlau, Carl Reinecke, Franz Doppler, George Enescu, Eldin Burton, Jonathan Cohen, and Carlos Simon, with a specific focus on eight pieces by these composers. Through this exploration it is apparent their music not only conveys their art but also embodies the composer's personal relationships, political circumstances, and culture.

Addressing Socioeconomic Disparities In The Treatment Of Antimicrobial-Resistant Infections: The Role Of Pharmacists In Mitigating Barriers, Arin Wade, Danielle Egbujor, Anna Spalvieri, Owen Fox, Marisa Petrunich, Joshua Honaker, Samantha Mccord, Kasie Landin

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Antimicrobial resistance is an escalating global threat driven by inappropriate antibiotic use and shaped by socioeconomic disparities. Social determinants of health, including limited healthcare access, poverty, low health literacy, and environmental conditions, contribute to higher rates of resistant infections and poorer treatment outcomes in underserved populations. Barriers such as pharmacy deserts, self-medication, and inadequate stewardship infrastructure amplify these risks. Pharmacists, as accessible and highly trained healthcare professionals, play a critical role in combating antimicrobial resistance by optimizing antibiotic use, delivering culturally competent education, and leading antimicrobial stewardship programs across settings. Community and clinical pharmacists are especially well positioned to bridge …

Russia's Historical Fate: Mapping Space, Time, And Salvation In Patriarch Kirill's Sermons, Brooke J. Barton

Linguistics

The relationship between the Russian State and Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) during Putin’s regime has been characterized as mutually beneficial. The most influential figure in the contemporary ROC is Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’, who has worked with Putin to give Russia’s current nation-building project, Russkiĭ Mir ‘Russian World,’ a religious foundation. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine exists within this project, which Kirill has sought to sacralize in his sermons. In this thesis, Barton utilizes discourse analysis to examine how Kirill’s sermons justify Russian imperialism while also projecting a vision of the ROC within the national project. …

Breaking Boundaries: The Function Of Supernatural Women In Arthurian Literature, Emma P. Allen

English

Women in Arthurian literature tend to be overlooked in favor of the knights. This thesis focuses on supernatural women in three texts: Parzival, Le Morte D’Arthur, and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Examining the behavior and actions of these women places the male protagonists’ behavior into a new light. Parzival is placed on his narratively correct path by Cundrie’s rebuke. Arthur is given Excalibur by The Lady of the Lake, and is further protected by Nimue, allowing him to survive until the text demands his death. The Mage, a new addition to the Arthurian literature, both protects and advises …

Load Forecasting And Modeling For Power System, Han Guo

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Accurate load forecasting and modeling play a pivotal role in ensuring the stability, reliability, and economic efficiency of modern power systems. With the increasing integration of renewable energy sources, distributed energy resources, and demand-side management strategies, power systems are becoming more dynamic and complex, making traditional load forecasting methods inadequate. This dissertation introduces two novel approaches to address the challenges associated with day-ahead load forecasting and load modeling.

First, a Diffusion Model-Based Probabilistic Day-Ahead Load Forecasting (PDALF) Framework is proposed to enhance the accuracy and robustness of load forecasting. By employing a conditional denoising diffusion probabilistic model (DDPM), the framework, …

Sex, Skulls, And Selection: An Exploration Of Blakely Island's Deer Population And Their Ecology Through Genetic Sex Differentiation Of Juvenile Crania, Blair P. Graves

Honors Projects

As an isolated landmass with no natural predators, Blakely Island serves as an effective study site for the study of evolutionary factors relating to insular populations of large mammals. A disparity in the adult sex ratio of local deer has been observed, but the demographics of juveniles must still be ascertained through genetic methods. This study aims to further research concerning the development of a replicable and non-toxic procedure through which undergraduate students can identify the sex of numerous juvenile deer crania. Specifically, differing decalcification lengths, DNA extraction kit methods, and amelogenin primer sets were evaluated for relative success in …

Dumy And The Nation: How Folklore And Folk Songs Help Compose A Distinct Ukrainian Narrative, Amy Herd

Senior Theses

Historiography and ethnography have played a critical role in the development of modern Slavic nationalisms, particularly in Ukraine. As these studies became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century, scholars and members of the bourgeoisie identified folk culture as the key component for the making of the modern nation. Viewed as an authentic window into national history and tradition due to their limited interaction with the modernizing world, rural folk offered the perfect opportunity to illustrate how Ukraine had always been distinct from Russia and its other historical oppressors. As folk culture fervor gripped the intellectual elite of Eastern Europe, however, …

Prevention Of Post-Mastectomy Seroma In Breast Cancer Patients: A Comparative Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Fibrin Glue Versus Quilting, Ibrahim A. Umar, Bello M. Bashir

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of fibrin glue versus quilting in preventing post-mastectomy seroma formation in breast cancer patients. Methods: This study was a prospective, randomised interventional trial conducted between July 2021 and June 2022 at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. It involving patients with breast cancer undergoing modified radical mastectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to Group A (fibrin glue) or Group B (quilting). The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05, corresponding to a 95% confidence interval. Results: A total of 42 patients were recruited for the study. The total volume of drainage for Group A was …

Women In The Traditional Gender System Through Sexualized And Inappropriate Performances In The Modern Advertisements, Ruoning Xia

Communication ETDs

This study examined the body and gender identity performances and narratives of women in different Chinese advertisements, and deconstructed the motivation and representation of humiliation, sexual harassment, and gender offside toward women in public spaces. The study takes feminism, patriarchal capitalism, and rhetorical criticism to analyze the situation of Chinese women’s identity and gender in the traditional gender system, as well as the status of women’s situations with patriarchy and capitalism discourses. Through the analysis of the advertisements, the study criticized the gender (mis)representation of women’s gender identity and bodies among women's identities, bodies, and patriarchy, and deconstructs the gender …

Ivig Administration: Lessons From Cross-Institutional Protocol Review., Michelle L Payne, Keaton S Smetana, Casey C May

Pharmacy Articles

No abstract provided.

Collective Action In Marine Mammal Co-Management: Relationships As Tools Of Cooperation, Joseph E. Ransdell-Green

Arctic and Northern Studies

Collective action has great importance in solving many socio-ecological issues because the sustainable management of natural resources requires that different people and institutions cooperate with one another to contribute to a collective good. Over the past sixty years, two general theories of collective action have formed. These theories continue to influence debates about what factors drive collective action. In the 1960s, first-generation collective action scholars proposed that laws from centralized governments or privatization were needed to combat collective action problems such as overpopulation and overexploitation of resources. Second- generation scholars argue that groups can self-organize to solve collective action problems. …

Evidence-Based Human Clinical Trials On Antidiabetic Herbal 6 Remedies Commonly Used In The Middle East, Shihab Al-Makhmari, Abir Al-Aufi, Saleh Al-Kindi, Maha Al Riyami, Hussein Sakr, Mohamed-Rachid Boulassel, Khalid M Abu Khadra, Rahma Al-Haddabi, Ammar Boudaka, Jumana Saleh

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent metabolic disorder with significant health and economic impacts. This review examined Middle Eastern herbs as alternative T2DM treatments in human randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses. A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted for human randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses on black seed (Nigella sativa), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) and curcumin (Curcuma longa), with at least 6 human studies per herb. The results revealed that N. sativa and fenugreek improved glycaemic control and lipid profiles, while ginger regulated carbohydrate …

Erythema Multiforme Triggered By: Trichophyton Mentagrophytes An Unusual Association, María Zulaika-Lloret, Álvaro Prados-Carmona, Mar Rodríguez-Troncoso, Ricardo Ruiz-Villaverde

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

“Umble” Vampirism: Socioeconomic Scapegoats And David Copperfield, J.R. Rizzo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The narrative framing of David Copperfield is oriented in a way that ignores the flaws of its titular hero. Dickens’ autobiographical David Copperfield is compounded to entertain readers. His social mobility refines their perception of David into a middle class gentleman who is neither aristocratic, nor working class. It is David’s narration which helps facilitate such a companionship between himself and the reader, clouding any serious criticisms behind the guise of his charm. The doubling of bias layered within the novel’s narrative structure thereby poses David as a sort-of golden boy. That is, Dickens’ adoration for his protagonist, coupled with …

Gothic Gender And Colonized Women: A Gothic Feminist Reading Of Women As The Subaltern In Evelina And Northanger Abbey, Abigail Chandler

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Evelina by Frances Burney and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen are two woman-authored, Gothic texts that explore themes of feminism and coming of age as subaltern in a patriarchal context. The main character in each must enter the world and become disillusioned to the reality that they are treated as subhuman because they are women. The term subaltern refers to those living in the margins and their suppressed “potential for life and creativity, in given historical circumstances” (Pandey 4735), and primarily focuses on ethnic or racial oppression in postcolonial settings; however, this thesis explores the idea of women in patriarchal …

Spexin Is A Reliable Predictor Of Diabetes Postmenopausal Iraqi Women: A Case-Control Study, Mustafa. S. Shareef, Ali B. Roomi, Bassem Charfeddine

Baghdad Science Journal

A peptide called spexin (SPX) regulates blood glucose and lipid metabolism. The study primarily focused on the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in postmenopausal women, examining its relationship with serum SPX levels. A case-control study involved 180 postmenopausal women from Thi-Qar, Iraq were enrolled in the current study. Ninety women were recently diagnosed with diabetic postmenopausal women, while the other 90 were non-diabetic postmenopausal women. Blood samples were collected to test: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), SPX, Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), C-reactive protein (CRP), fasting blood glucose (FSG), insulin, lipid profile and interleukein (IL-6). Results: FSG, HbA1c, insulin, and …

Potential Association Between The Incidence Of Breast Cancer In Female Iraqi Patients And The Rs861539 Polymorphism, Vitamin D, And Antioxidant Vitamins, Iqbal Hanash Dhefer

Baghdad Science Journal

Breast cancer is the main cause of mortality for females. Variations in DNA repair capacity and consequent hereditary predisposition to certain malignancies may be attributed to polymorphisms in DNA repair genes. There have been few and inconclusive studies on the relationship between blood levels of vitamins and minerals and food and the genesis of breast cancer. We explored correlations between polymorphisms (rs861539) and vitamin D. In addition, the effects of vitamins D, E, C, and iron on breast cancer were examined. The study population consisted of thirty healthy normal persons and sixty breast cancer patients. For the purpose of estimating …

Synthesis Of Some New Substituted Pyridilimides From 2-Carboxy Nicotinic Acid By Reaction With Amines, And Evaluation Of Their Antibacterial Activity, Anwar Abdulghani Fathi, Yassir Shakeeb Al Jawaheri, Shaimaa Samir Ismaeel

Baghdad Science Journal

In this paper, we synthesized some new substituted pyridilimides in three different ways. Firstly, by the reaction of 2-carboxy nicotinic acid with some amino acids to form 2-substituted (5,7-dioxo-5,7-dihydro-6H-pyrrolo [3,4-b] pyridine-6-yl) acetic acid (1–2). In the next step, the resultant compounds were treated with phenylene diamine to form substituted 6-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl) methyl)-5H-pyrrolo [3,4-b] pyridine-5,7(6H)-dione (3-4). Secondly, 2-carboxy nicotinic acid, which was converted to anhydride (5), reacted with acetic anhydride and acetic acid. In the next step, two moles of (5) were used to react with some aliphatic or aromatic diamine to give substituted bis 5H-pyrrolo [3,4-b] pyridine-5,7(6H)-dione (6–11). Finally, (5) was …

Evaluation Of Dpp4, Tnf, And Lipid Profile Levels As Early Indicators In Infertility Among Iraqi Women, Kadhim K. Ghudhaib, Fayhaa M. Khaleel, Farah E. Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

Infertility is one of the problems facing women and men. Obesity, lipid level disorders, and insulin resistance are among the risk factors that cause infertility, in addition to other relevant factors. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of obesity and lipids imbalance, together with studying the relationship for each dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF-α) infertile women compared to healthy women, to determine the possibility that they are being diagnostic and indicative factors of the disease. The study included 50 participants, age range (15–34) years, who attended Kamal Al-Samarai Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. …

From The Sea To The Classroom: Harmful Algal Blooms, Northern Sea Otters, And Engaging Curriculum, Emily Mailman

Biological Sciences

Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) consist of a myriad of phytoplankton that can produce multiple potentially lethal biotoxins, which are ingested by shellfish as they consume algae in their diet. HAB events can occur when sunlight, nutrients, temperature, and turbidity conditions combine optimally. These bloom events are expected to increase as ocean temperatures continue to rise. The present study takes a multifaceted approach to evaluate the concentrations of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST), in northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni), and provides a curriculum for students in grades 9-12 to support student’s conceptualization of microscopic phytoplankton and their roles in coastal ecosystems. …

Vegetation Analysis And Mapping In Evolving Ice-Wedge-Polygon Terrain Prudhoe Bay Region, Alaska, Olivia Hobgood

Biological Sciences

The Arctic is warming at an accelerating pace, and within the past few decades, ice-rich regions of the Arctic have undergone systemic changes. The subsidence of ground over degraded ice wedges has created new drainage networks and ponds within previously perpetually inundated areas, fundamentally altering ice-wedge-polygon landscape dynamics. Understanding the nature and distribution of these changes is crucial to determining potential impacts on climate, wildlife, and human society. We focus on an accessible and data-rich region within Prudhoe Bay. Although the changes caused by this shift in moisture regime are multi-faceted, we use vegetation as an easily measured proxy for …

Functional Analysis Of Pathogenic Variants In Lamb1-Related Leukoencephalopathy Reveals Genotype-Phenotype Correlations And Suggests Its Role In Glial Cells, Rei Yasuda, Hirokazu Hashimoto, Mikiko Oka, Jung-Wan Mok, Marium Waqar, Brigitte Dauwalder, Oguz Kanca, Toshiki Mizuno, Shinya Yamamoto

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Laminin B1 (LAMB1) is one of the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that make up the basement membrane. Early frameshift, late frameshift, and missense variants in LAMB1 have been reported to cause rare monogenic neurological disorders that are collectively known as LAMB1-related leukoencephalopathy. Although there is some genotype-phenotype correlation, functional consequences of pathogenic LAMB1 variants are largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to elucidate function of the fly ortholog of this gene (LanB1) in the nervous system and to further study the functional consequences of the LAMB1 variants using Drosophila melanogaster. We found that the LanB1 gene is expressed on …

Green Logistics: A Brief Look At Cutting Carbon In Global Supply Chains, Maria F. Navarro

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This chapter looks at how companies are making their supply chains more eco-friendly by using green logistics. It explains how businesses are trying to lower their carbon footprint by improving things like transportation, packaging, and warehouse operations. Some of the main strategies include using electric trucks, planning better delivery routes, and using less energy in storage. It also talks about how new technologies like AI and automation can help make logistics both smarter and more sustainable. Overall, the chapter shows that being environmentally responsible is becoming more important for companies around the world.