Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Nexus: The Influence Of Acculturation And Stress On Infant Outcomes Among Hispanic And Black/African American Adolescents, Mia I. Moreno

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Numerous studies on acculturation and acculturative stress exist; however, findings are inconsistent and overlook an exploration of differences between Hispanic and Black/African American (B/AA) adolescents’ acculturation, stress, and birth outcomes. Despite societal and cultural challenges for both minorities, Hispanic women typically have positive birth outcomes comparable to White women, but B/AA women show an increased risk for negative birth outcomes. Further, minority and adolescent childbearing women frequently receive fewer prenatal care (PNC) visits than recommended which may impact birth outcomes. Therefore, my study sought to compare Hispanic and B/AA women’s birth outcomes assessing acculturation and stress and examine the relationship …

Uni Impact: Faculty/Staff Scholarly Publications And Featured Awards Newsletter, V2i1, 2023, Rod Library. Research & Sponsored Programs. Uni Foundation. University Of Northern Iowa.

UNI Impact: Faculty/Staff Scholarly Publications and Featured Awards Newsletter

Highlights the scholarship, research, and other scholarly work produced by University of Northern Iowa faculty, students, and staff.

This issue covers the period of January - June 2023.

Concerning Classification: American Alternative Classification Systems 1930 - Today, Sasha Frizzell

Library Scholarship

Library of Congress Classification (LCC) and Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) have been widely used in American libraries for over 100 years. Since their adoption, librarians have been interrogating the structure of these classification schemas and finding that these systems will not equitably represent the resources in their collections. One solution to this problem is creating an alternative classification system that modifies the existing schema or creates a wholly new alternative.

This presentation will explore two different types of alternative classification systems: those built for special libraries and those constructed to improve access to resources by and about historically marginalized groups. …

Barriers To Breastfeeding In Low Socioeconomic Populations, Nikki Goldberg, Paige Daws

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

This literature review assessed and determined common themes among vulnerable populations for the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding habits. The barriers identified were divided into four themes including: lack of support, inflexible employment environment, differences of breastfeeding norms and education, and financial burden. Interventions identified in this literature review were community support programs and the implementation of hospital programs and initiatives to encourage breastfeeding. The need for this research and discussion stems from the sub-optimal infant feeding practices that contribute to infant mortality rates (Gallegos et al., 2020).

Welcome Home: A Comparative Study Of Home Altars As Agentive Mediators Of Religious Experience, Michael J. Horvath

Yale Divinity School Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Altitude On Decomposition: Toward An Understanding Of The Postmortem Interval In The Rocky Mountain Region Of Colorado., Christiane Irene Baigent

Dissertations

The estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) is a critical component of medicolegal death investigation. An accurate PMI estimate has the potential to influence the allocation of investigative resources, establish the probative value of associated biological and material evidence, shape the analytical framework applied to skeletal analysis, and inform cause and manner of death. Forensic anthropologists are often tasked with PMI estimation throughout all stages of decomposition and typically rely on categorical phases of soft tissue and skeletal change purported to correspond to broad estimates of elapsed time. In an attempt to improve precision, Megyesi et al. (2005) developed the Total …

Illusions Of Freedom? A History Of Attitudes Toward Death, Dominick Bucca

All Theses

My thesis explores the historical question: “Is there any freedom from death?” through three figures within the Western metaphysical tradition: Thucydides (460-400 BCE), Augustine (354-430 CE), and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616). In so doing, my thesis suggests the following: for Thucydides, freedom from death arose through the immortality of empire; for Augustine, through the immortality of God’s grace; and for Cervantes, through the immortality of narratives/attitudes of immortality. Moreover, I nest my claim within an exploratory narrative. Which is to say that, lifting a page from Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), I have attempted to break away from the near total …

Spring 2024, Georgia Library Quarterly

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

My Own Private Library, Catherine Bowers

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Diving Into Pre-Columbian Art: Expanding The Uri Curriculum, Emilia Zeyl

Senior Honors Projects

Many art history programs at universities across the country continue to follow a Eurocentric format of ‘modern’ art history that came about in the eighteenth-century. These curricula largely exclude any art history of entire regions, notably Asia, Africa, South America, and Oceana. I was made aware of this issue from my art history professors who are actively working to change this pattern at URI. I wanted to assist in this effort by creating a course that would complement the Latin American-focused subject matter I had engaged with in courses on art history and anthropology, courses that initially sparked my curiosity …

Comparative Analysis Of Victim Services Across The U.S., Avalena Giampa

Senior Honors Projects

Crime is a major problem that impacts many people across the United States. The media and public commonly focus on the suspects and perpetrators, rather than the victims. This problem contributes to a lack of awareness of victim services. The database developed in this study serves as a resource for people to see what each individual state offers for victim services within their most populated county’s district attorney’s office. In forming this database, I looked at each state’s most populated county and reviewed their web pages for victim services offered by each DA’s office and applied a coding structure as …

Flamenco, Gender Roles, And Female Empowerment In Granada, Spain, Dana F. Giordano

Senior Honors Projects

During the 2023-2024 academic year, my academic pursuits led me to Granada, Spain. This city is nestled within the culturally rich region of Andalucia, renowned as the birthplace of flamenco. Immersed in the study of Spanish language and culture, but also cognizant of prevalent issues of sexism deeply rooted within its societal fabric, I decided to explore gender expression and dynamics in flamenco. For this project, I researched Laura Mulvey's notion of the “male gaze,” a feminist theory that argues that the depiction of women in art and media supports a patriarchal society. Women are often portrayed as objects for …

The Divine Comedy: A Work Of Medieval Mythology, Jamie Alexander

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Prior to The Divine Comedy (1308-1321), ideas about Purgatory were in the early stages of development. Purgatory had loose rituals surrounding its existence and it lacked depiction in written works. Yet in the following centuries, the fear of Purgatory and the practices of penance and indulgences reached a fever pitch, ultimately leading to the Protestant Reformation. Purgatory as a celestial location, and not just the “purgatorial fires” of the Bible, only began to develop in the twelfth century, but its fearful description and imagery in The Divine Comedy not only solidified previously nebulous understandings of Purgatory, but also increased anxiety …

Evaluation Of Heavy Metal Pollution, Water Quality, And The Effectiveness Of Remedial Sediment Dredging In The Lower Passaic River, New Jersey, Oluwafemi Soetan

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Toxic metal pollution is a leading environmental concern for aquatic systems globally and remedial dredging has been widely employed to mitigate its harmful impacts. In terms of the short-term impacts of remedial dredging, mixed results are reported in several studies. Despite its immediate negative impacts including saturation of water with toxic metals, increased turbidity, and sediment resuspension, positive impacts can be recorded over a stabilization period of 6 – 24 months after dredging. Nevertheless, the sustainability of these recorded positive effects cannot be ascertained as some studies have reported long-term regression in remediated sites’ conditions. Evaluation of success determinants, site-measure …

Cultivating Land And Love For God: Agrarian Life In Benedictine Women’S Communities In The United States, Mother Maria Evangelista Fernandez Osb

Yale Divinity School Theses

Using qualitative research within the discipline of Practical theology, this study explores the agrarian practices of five Benedictine women’s communities in the United States: the Abbey of Regina Laudis, Our Lady of the Rock Priory, the Abbey of St. Walburga, Immaculate Heart of Mary Abbey, and the Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus. I focus on the interconnected nature of communal land cultivation and prayer while creating a conspectus of agrarian life for American Benedictine nuns in 2024. The paper unfolds in three parts: the first situates the research context and interpretive framework drawing on hermeneutic phenomenology within Practical theology. …

The (Dis)Obedience Politics Of Victorian Literature, Audrey Peterson-Mccann

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The (Dis)Obedience Politics of Victorian Literature argues that Victorian children learned thesocial valuation of themselves and others through the figure of the animal, and while this learning was often hegemonic, some Victorian authors subverted this form of didacticism, creating alternative pedagogies that extended subjecthood to those who were often excluded. While it is well-known that animals have historically been enlisted as teaching symbols, I contend that literary animals in Victorian fiction were used to critique, expose, and otherwise provide commentary and context for the potentially widespread disciplinary practice of childrearing as these practices defined and qualified subjectivity and objectivity. To …

An Analysis Of Differential Object Marking In Copala Triqui, Erin Mcgrath

ALL - Honors Theses

In this thesis, I review and investigate differential object marking in Copala Triqui, which uses the word man to overtly mark accusative case. Overt case marking is optional in some contexts and required in others. I describe the current literature on the topic and summarize the findings of other researchers on the optionality of man. Additionally, I examine another way to analyze differential object marking according to the qualities of the object only (“local”) or the relationship between the subject and object (“global”). The labels of local and global can be applied to existing analyses. The animacy, personhood, and pronominal …

Chromosome 7 Microdeletions: A Literature Review, Catherine Davi

ALL - Honors Theses

Microdeletions, deletions of part of a chromosome that are too small to be detected by light microscopy using conventional cytogenetic methods, have become a hot topic for geneticists over the past decade or so. Occurring in around one in every 4000 live births, some of these microdeletions do not allow for a viable offspring, while others have distinctive developmental consequences. Many of the genes on chromosome 7 play a large role in the early development of the head, face, and limbs and more generally on cell growth and division (Bethesda 2022). This research study reviews known microdeletions on the seventh …

Examining Diachronic Use Of Exotic Lithic Material From A Multicomponent Archaeological Site On Newfoundland, Canada, Addison Robbins

ALL - Honors Theses

Newfoundland has been home to several different cultural groups such as the Maritime Archaic, different Paleo-Eskimo groups, the Beothuk, and many others. These cultures are all unique in their own ways and the majority have been documented using the exotic material, Ramah chert. This material is typically found within seabed’s or within deep lakes because of the continuous sediment deposit. The excavation and lab analysis have emphasized the continuous use of this material over time. This can be attributed to several factors such as cultural significance or durability. This paper will mainly touch on the culturally significant aspects because of …

A Christian Perspective On Happiness: Positive Psychology And Rahner’S Theology Of Grace In The Quest For Meaning, Edwin Onyango Odhiambo

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

This research examines happiness from a Christian perspective, integrating theological insights with contemporary scientific understanding. It highlights the foundational role of divine grace in shaping a Christian’s approach to happiness, as articulated by one of the greatest 20th-century theologians, Karl Rahner. Rahner’s notion of uncreated grace offers a lens through which Christians can view happiness, not just as a feeling but as a stable state nurtured by a deep relationship with God and manifested in goals and actions aligned with divine will, giving a sense of belonging and purpose instrumental for lasting happiness. This study also acknowledges the relevance of …

Bilateral Asymmetry In The First Metacarpal: The Influence Of Handedness In Humans And Non-Human Primates, Lucyna A. Bowland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Muscle attachment sites (entheses) are often used to infer soft tissue anatomy and reconstruct behaviors within skeletal populations, but there remains a significant debate about whether and to what degree muscle use is accurately reflected in bony morphology. One of the most difficult problems in establishing the relationship between variation in muscle use and entheseal development is the inability to exclude a variety of external factors thought to influence enthesis development, including age, sex, body mass, and activity patterns. One way around this is to take advantage of the fact that humans are handed (preferentially using one hand over another, …

Emotional Labor Performed Among University Faculty Responding To Student Sexual Assault Disclosures, Cadi Imbody

All Theses

Given the barriers to formal help-seeking and the prevalence on college campuses, students who experience sexual assault may turn to faculty for assistance, as they are familiar faces they trust and can provide access to university resources. In these cases, faculty may become the frontline for providing official help within the university setting. Responding to these student sexual assault disclosures requires great emotional capacity and the ability to provide empathetic, supportive responses. In these interactions, faculty may need to perform what Arlie Russell Hochschild (1983/2003) theorized as “emotional labor” to handle such sensitive information appropriately. Initially focusing on the service …

Aerial, Surface, And Subsurface Multimodal Mapping In Coastal Peru: Insights From Cerro San Isidro, Moro Region, Nepeña Valley, Kayla Golay Lausanne, David Chicoine, Jeisen Navarro Vega, George F. Lau

Faculty Publications

This article describes a series of steps to integrate multiple modes of archaeological mapping in arid and agricultural settings. We use the coastal region of Peru as a case study and share our recent field experience at Cerro San Isidro, a multicomponent hill site located in the agriculture-intensive and mid-elevation (about 500 m asl) Moro region of the Nepeña Valley. In June and July 2022, we spent eight weeks deploying a combination of drone aerial imagery, pedestrian GPS reconnaissance, and GPR survey to map the surface and subsurface features at the site and in the adjacent agricultural fields. Our efforts …

Transcendence In Kierkegaard And Barth, Andrew Myrick

Honors Theses

This paper examines the theological intersections and divergences between Karl Barth and Søren Kierkegaard, focusing on their conceptualizations of God's transcendence. Barth, influential in the twentieth century, viewed divine knowledge as accessible only through Jesus Christ's revelation, critiquing any historical or metaphysical bases for such knowledge. He was significantly influenced by Kierkegaard, who emphasized paradox and the "infinite qualitative distinction." This study traces Barth's evolving thoughts on transcendence across his works, including his critiques of Kierkegaard in his later years. While some scholars suggest a shared theological trajectory based on transcendence, this paper argues for nuanced differences, engaging with the …

Microfaunal Remains From The Ryan-Harley Site, Savanna Caylor

Honors Theses

The Ryan Harley site is located in the Wacissa River basin in northern Florida. It is one of the few sites in the southeastern United States to contain a Suwannee point artifact. Several excavations in 2015 and 2017 showed extinct and extant faunal remains within and around the Suwannee component. The geoarchaeological data showed that whether these remains were in situ or not is inconclusive. This paper will focus on the microfloral and faunal remains to draw conclusions about the environment encountered during the Younger Dryas (12,900-11,700 cal B.P). The relationship between floral and faunal species present will help to …

Civil Disobedience Of Social Workers In Hospice, Jamie Leigh Roper

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Socioeconomic Inequalities On Racial/Ethnic Disparities In Adrd Incidence Rate In South Carolina, Noor Nishan

All Theses

none

Rising From The Abyss: A Grounded Theory Exploration On How Afghani And Ukrainian Mothers Navigate Major Milestones Following The Onset Of Political Conflict, Rabab Atwi

Education (PhD) Dissertations

The political conflicts that have erupted around the world have disrupted the lives of millions of people. This constructivist grounded theory study delved into the experiences of ten mothers from Afghanistan and Ukraine who had to overcome three major milestones: conflict in their homelands, liminal places, and resettlement in the United States. Although the wellestablished literature has highlighted the challenges refugee women encounter following the onset of political conflict, limited literature exists on the experiences of refugee mothers and the resources of support available to help them navigate conflict-related challenges. The findings of this study highlighted mothering, community, and governmental …

Cctfv2: Modeling Cyber Competitions, Basheer Qolomany, Tristan J. Calay, Liaquat Hossain, Aos Mulahuwaish, Jacques Bou Abdo

School of Computing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Cyber competitions are usually team activities, where team performance not only depends on the members’ abilities but also on team collaboration. This seems intuitive, especially given that team formation is a well-studied discipline in competitive sports and project management, but unfortunately, team performance and team formation strategies are rarely studied in the context of cybersecurity and cyber competitions. Since cyber competitions are becoming more prevalent and organized, this gap becomes an opportunity to formalize the study of team performance in the context of cyber competitions. This work follows a cross-validating two-approach methodology. The first is the computational modeling of cyber …

Examining The Effects Of Menstrual Cycle Phase And Hormonal Contraceptive Use On Women's Sleep, Charles Ethan Coombs

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women overrepresent men for sub-optimal sleep, a consequence of hormone fluctuation in the menstrual cycle affecting sleep regulatory pathways. While research has examined the prevalence of sub-optimal sleep through cycle phases, little research has examined how hormonal contraceptives (HC’s) could similarly affect women’s sleep, while also neglecting to utilize subjective sleep measures. In this study, we examine subjective sleep quality among naturally cycling (NC) women, women using different HC types, and between active and inactive phase pill users by subjecting 463 women to a subjective sleep battery. We hypothesized that HC users would report more sub-optimal sleep than NC women. …