Digital Commons Network^™

Mixed Method Approach To Language Allocation Policies For High School English Language Learners, Rhonda Hope Huegel

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-method sequential exploratory research study aims to describe how New York City High School principals use their language implementation policies to describe their approach to closing the achievement gap for English Learners through three theoretical lenses: transformative leadership, social constructivism, and ethics of care. The study used public data and documents along with principal interviews

Ethical Elegance: Navigating Consumer Morality And Production Practices In Fashion Through Analyzing Shein, Zara, & Vivienne Westwood, Joshua Todd Auskalnis

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis examines current gaps within sustainable business and sustainable fashion within the global fashion industry by carrying out a comparative analysis of the three companies: Shein, Zara, and Vivienne Westwood. These companies have different positions along the sustainability spectrum and offer insights into how profitability is weighed against environmental and ethical concerns. Chapter 1 addresses environmental sustainability, assessing how each brand is responsible for damaging the environment through overproduction, wastage, synthetic materials, and greenhouse gas emissions. Chapter 2 addresses ethical and social responsibility, considering workers' conditions, fair compensation, and labor protections along international supply chains. Chapter 3 draws on …

In The Quest For New Horizons: Evaluating Novel Therapeutic Approaches For Tuberculosis Treatment, Selassie Mawuko, Aminata Traore, Bibi-Sakeena Khemraj, Anna Steto, Richa Gupta

Publications and Research

Tuberculosis (TB) in humans, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a significant global health concern, resulting in high disease burden and mortality each year which together make it the world’s topmost infectious killer. The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in recent decades has further exacerbated the present situation and warrants an urgent need to develop and investigate innovative treatment regimes. This study aims to assess the therapeutic potential of newly identified drug candidates, namely Bedaquiline, Delamanid, and Linezolid, in treating MDR-TB. We adopted a consolidated and integrated approach encompassing a thorough literature review, empirical experimental studies, multiple sequence alignments, and …

Glenda Brooks V. Harrisburg Area Community College

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Redefining Beauty And Boundaries: The Evolution Of Mac Viva Glam’S Pr Campaign As A Case Study In Shaping Dei Discourse Amid A Changing Political Landscape, Abigail Kennedy

Honors Theses

The relationship between diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in the beauty industry and the emergence of anti-DEI laws nationwide is examined in this thesis. Using MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam campaign as a case study, this research highlights how public relations tactics in the beauty industry have traditionally supported inclusive values, embracing representation across lines of color, gender, sexual orientation, and health. On the other hand, new legislative initiatives in states like Florida, Texas, and Kentucky demonstrate a burgeoning political movement that seeks to eliminate DEI initiatives in public institutions and education. This thesis examines the ramifications of such through a …

Observations From The Void: A Lament For Earth, Seth Petersen

Honors Theses

The Earth is a world full of art and many different forms of expression. Puppetry is a medium that has been used for hundreds, or even thousands, of years as a way to breathe life into objects. Through the use of both shadow and hand puppets a performance was created to follow the script of a written poetry collection. This collection of poetry was written from the perspective of an alien observer as they watch Earth from light-years away to determine if they are a threat to the universe. To figure this out they look at various aspects of humanity …

Health Amongst Pilots, Becoming Aware And Solving The Problems: A Quantitative And Qualitative Narrative Analysis Of Pilots, Kelsi Howard

Honors Theses

Pilots of all calibers from commercial to cargo are one of the world's leading factors to economic growth, political dominance, and personal satisfaction amongst individuals, so why is there not more health opportunities for this group of workers? There is hardly any mention of a pilot's physical health, most of the articles when posted are based around a pilots mental health, with little to no concern for their physical health. This could primarily be due to the fact that airline pilots have a fear of being at risk of losing their medical license. Meanwhile others are in search of information …

Explaining Patient Data Towards Improving Patient Understanding And Medical Efficiency, Lupe K. Hernandez Jr.

Masters Theses

Patients frequently access medical test results through electronic health record (EHR) portals, often before receiving input from healthcare providers. These results typically lack interpretation or are presented with complex clinical terminology, leading to confusion, anxiety, and misinformed decision-making. This thesis examines using large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to generate test result summaries in detailed and simplified formats automatically. A Python-based middleware was developed to interface between OpenEMR and OpenAI’s API, enabling automated summary generation. Summaries included a clinically detailed version and a simplified version written at a third-grade reading level. Two surveys were conducted: one with undergraduate and …

The Evolution And Impact Of Blog Analysis Tools: A Study Of Blogtracker's Comprehensive Approach To Digital Discourse Analysis, Oyindamola Koleoso

Theses and Dissertations

This study presents BlogTracker, a comprehensive web-based platform designed to address the growing complexities of analyzing the modern blogosphere. We detail BlogTracker's evolution from earlier blog analysis tools, highlighting its innovative integration of features including real-time data collection, advanced content analysis, sentiment analysis, influence tracking, and narrative analysis. At the core of our contribution is a robust content extraction system that achieves 91.33% accuracy across diverse blog formats, providing a reliable foundation for all analytical functions. This extraction system effectively distinguishes between primary content and peripheral elements, ensuring high-quality inputs for downstream analysis regardless of source blog structure. The platform's …

Implementation Of Safety Restraint Chair Algorithm With De-Escalation Techniques To Decrease Restraint Time In Acute Psychiatric Unit, Chiamaka Nwadike

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement project aims to (1) decrease time in restraint use on the inpatient psychiatric unit through implementing the restraint chair protocol, and (2) improve staff satisfaction in using safety restraint.

Background: In acute psychiatric care, restraints are used to ensure safety, but they pose physical and psychological risks. There is an increasing recognition of the need for patient safety, including the use of de-escalation techniques that prioritize restraint chairs over bed restraints to ensure safety.

Methodology: The project follows the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, which supports a continuous improvement approach to implementing the restraint chair …

Thou Swearest Thy Gods In Vain: The Victory Of Christ As Deus Ex Machina In King Lear Over Apollo In Euripides's Orestes, Aaron B.Y. Gorner

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

A Case Of Racialized Organizations: Black-Owned Vegan Restaurants In St. Louis, Missouri, Antonia M. Roach

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

How does functioning as a racialized organization impact a restaurant’s ability to advance the goals of a social movement? This paper highlights the role organizations play in the vegan social movement. In recent years, veganism has developed into a social movement with purported health and ethics benefits, though one in which Black members are not necessarily widely represented. The research that exists on Black veganism focuses on the ideological reasonings behind why some make the decision to adopt a plant-based diet, or spell out the fact that community and culture rank as top priorities when considering what foods to eat …

Jim Crow Medicine: Race In Jama, 1883-1982, Han Koehle

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Using a historical approach I examined race discourse within the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) between 1883 and 1982 to better understand how race concepts connect to the production of medical knowledge and ignorance; how they influenced the production of legal and medical policy; how they related to the production and maintenance of health injustice; and how oppressions and injustices are interrelated. I found a clear differentiation between Jim Crow era and post-Jim Crow race discourse. Jim Crow era race discourse was characterized by a nested, bio-nationalist construct of race, an explicit commitment to White supremacy, a sense …

The Interconnectedness Of Fun Home On Page And Stage, Livia M. Nocito

English and Creative Writing Independent Study Projects

In Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel, instances of Alison’s emotional “rise,” or openness in being queer, and Bruce’s “descent,” or need to conform, in the book are further supplemented by translations made into the musical through leitmotif and musical composition. This cements not only their roles as Daedalus and Icarus respectively in the metaphor Alison presents in her memoir, but also highlights their lived experiences in a way that truly extends Alison’s liberation as a lesbian to be elevated in grandeur and Bruce’s stifling life to be as damning as Icarus’s fall into the sea.

Hoofbeats And Heartstrings: A Journey Into The Heart Of Bonding With Horses, Kayla Lopez

INRW/Coreq Student Showcase

Spring 2025 Student Showcase

Business Dean Ken Cyree Announces His Retirement, Staff Report

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – After 17 years of record growth and innovation, Ken Cyree, the longest-serving active business school dean in the Southeastern Conference, has announced his retirement from the University of Mississippi School of Business Administration.

Corporate Climate Risk Governance And Environmental Innovation, Tanvir Hamim, Sabur Mollah

Management Faculty Publications

The existing body of literature with regard to climate-oriented governance focuses on carbon disclosure and climate change commitments, with a notable omission of an essential aspect of sustainable business practices and decarbonization, that is, environmental innovation. In this study, Hamim and Mollah examine the effect of climate risk governance on firm-level environmental innovation. Based on a panel of 4378 firm-year observations from the nonfinancial S&P 500 components over the period of 2011–2021, they provide novel empirical evidence that corporate climate risk governance is positively associated with environmental innovation. Firms with strong climate risk governance appear to engage more in environment-friendly …

Connect 2 Cope: Stress And Coping Strategies Associated With University Honors Students, Anna R. Rodgers

Honors Theses

Coping and connecting are two things that college students don’t take a course in but are essential qualities they will need beyond their time in the university, in both work and life. This research sought to understand how students at Southern Illinois University, with special focus on Honors students, experience stress and view connection as a coping mechanism. It gives insights into sources of stress, including pressures that are external to university life and impact student mental health. The participants included SIUC Honors Students and SIU Non-Honors Students. I was also able to ask each group of students their perceptions …

Sound Of The Circuit: Ferrari X Spotify’S Sponsorship Strategy To Engage The U.S. Formula 1 Market, Gabrielle Vullings

Honors College Theses

This thesis explores the effectiveness of cross-industry partnerships as a strategic marketing tool through the case study of Spotify and Ferrari Formula 1’s collaboration, Sound of the Circuit. The central research question investigates how such a partnership can expand Formula 1’s reach within the U.S. market, particularly among millennial and Gen Z audiences. With growing interest in Formula 1 driven by cultural phenomena such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive, and the continued dominance of Spotify in youth-centered audio streaming, this thesis examines how these two global brands can align to engage a shared audience and generate mutual commercial value. Using …

Cgas/Sting-Independent Induction Of Type I Interferon By Inhibitors Of The Histone Methylase Kdm5b, Monica M. Montano, I. Ju Yeh, Wannarasmi Ketchart

Faculty Scholarship

Studies support the role of hexamethylene bis-acetamide [HMBA] induced protein 1 (HEXIM1) as a tumor suppressor. We previously reported that the histone demethylase, KDM5B, inhibits the expression of HEXIM1, and KDM5B inhibitors (KDM5Bi) upregulate HEXIM1 expression. As a consequence, KDM5Bi inhibited cell proliferation, induced differentiation, potentiated sensitivity to cancer chemotherapy, and inhibited breast tumor metastasis. HEXIM1 is crucial for the regulation of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) phenotype by KDM5Bi. Type I Interferon (IFN-I) employs the immune system in the tumor microenvironment to restrict tumor growth. Moreover, therapeutic approaches (including mainstay chemotherapy) engage IFN-I signaling. We report herein that HEXIM1 and …

Cross Cultural Mentoring: Including Diversity Awareness Strategies Into Healthcare Leadership Mentor Curriculum To Support Career Advancement Of Underrepresented Racial And Ethnic Groups, Deidra R. Burris

Doctoral Projects

Background: Mentoring programs in healthcare organizations can establish clear pathways for advancement through various management and leadership levels to senior-level positions. While mentoring develops leaders, many healthcare organizations do not offer mentoring programs that address unique issues experienced by members of racially and ethnically underrepresented groups. A study was conducted using a single-group, repeated-measures design to assess the impact of an intervention aimed at improving mentor attitudes, behaviors, and confidence regarding cultural awareness in the mentoring relationships of healthcare leaders. Methods: The study was conducted in a large California healthcare organization. The Cultural Diversity Awareness related to Race/Ethnicity (CDA-R/E) subscales …

Should Physicians Take The Rap? Normative Analysis Of Clinician Perspectives On Responsible Use Of 'Black Box' Ai Tools, Ben H Lang, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Jared N Smith, Meghan Hurley, Rita Dexter, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Increasing interest in deploying artificial intelligence tools in clinical contexts has raised several ethical questions of both normative and empirical interest. One such question in the literature is whether "responsibility gaps" (r-gaps) are created when clinicians utilize or rely on such tools for providing care, and if so, what to do about them. These gaps are particularly likely to arise when using opaque, "black box" AI tools. Compared to normative and legal analysis of AI-generated responsibility gaps in health care, little is known, empirically, about health care providers views on this issue. The present study examines clinician perspectives on …

Moments, Movements, And Manifestation Disrupting Neoliberal Ideologies Through Documentation In Collaborative Arts Partnerships, Geralyn Schroeder Yu, Juana M. Reyes, Teju Adesida, Noé Cuéllar, Mark Diaz, Brandon Phouybanhdyt

Education Department Faculty Articles

For over three decades, Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE) has challenged neoliberal approaches and classroom hierarchies through arts integration inquiry practices involving students, teachers, and teaching artists. The authors emphasize a two-year study of CoLab, a CAPE initiative that fosters new public-school partnerships. Using narrative inquiry, the researchers highlight the documentation practices described by CoLab teaching artists as they collaborate with teachers and students. The research results reveal how documentation in collaborative arts integration serves as a process of meaning-making, characterized by moments, movements, and manifestations that spread and grow, much like ripples in water after a stone’s disruption.

The Echo: May 12, 2025, Taylor University

2024-2025 (Volume 112)

No abstract provided.

Connections, Peter Froehlich

LSU Master's Theses

A definitive shift in American social interaction has been taking place far longer than most realize. It is easy to point the finger at the prevalence of technology and social media, this has been a trend that has been going on since the mid to late twentieth century. Stemming from changes in design, the breakdown of scheduled social outlets, and shifts in technology have led to what some writers and sociologists are calling “The Anti-Social Century.”

Working through a making practice to promote the building of connections through social interaction, three different types of spaces were targeted for the exploration …

Parts That Cannot Be Found, Amber Baggette

LSU Master's Theses

Parts That Cannot Be Found is a body of work where I use imagery of trees that are sick or injured, to show my struggles as a person who has been in survival mode their whole life. I use the facts I found in the book “The Hidden Life of Trees,” by Peter Wohlleben, where he describes what trees do and how and why they feel. Since I hold trees in high regard, I started researching how they function. Trees are living beings, and ignoring their presence is tragic. Throughout this paper, I contextualize my work by exploring specific printmaking …

Myths, Music, And Misconduct: A Lyrical Analysis Of "Epic: The Musical: And How It Bridges The Gap Between Criminology And A Contemporary Audience, Gabriel Simpson

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis explores the modern interpretation of Homer’s Odyssey through Epic: The Musical, examining its viability as a bridge between Criminological scholars and a contemporary audience. Epic: The Musical, a musical retelling of The Odyssey created by Jorge Rivere-Herrans, begins with Odysseus and his crew at the end of the Trojan War and ends with Odysseus arriving home at Ithaca. The musical consists of 40 songs and 9 Sagas, or albums, each focused on a different part of Odysseus’ journey. The focus of this thesis is in the relationship between Calypso and Odysseus. The two songs, “Love in Paradise” and …

Modeling Cross-Platform Narrative Templates: A Temporal Knowledge Graph Approach, Ridwan Amure

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, social media platforms have rapidly evolved in scale, functionality, and user engagement, encouraging individuals to maintain active presences across multiple networks. This complex, interconnected ecosystem has also enabled information actors to exploit cross-platform dynamics to amplify the reach of their content and strategically target diverse audiences. Recognizing the persistence and adaptability of such actors, this research emphasizes the need for robust models that can effectively capture and analyze cross-platform narrative diffusion. To this end, we propose a framework that utilizes temporal knowledge graphs to model the evolution and relationships among narratives across platforms. We extract temporal …

Deep Learning Classification Of Drainage Crossings Based On High-Resolution Dem-Derived Geomorphological Information, Michael Edidem, Bill Xu, Ruopu Li, Di Wu, Banafsheh Rekabdar, Guangxing Wang

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

High-resolution digital elevation models (HRDEMs) from LiDAR and InSAR technologies have significantly improved the accuracies of mapping hydrographic features such as river boundaries, streamlines, and waterbodies over large areas. However, drainage crossings that facilitate the passage of drainage flows beneath roads are not often represented in HRDEMs, resulting in erratic or distorted hydrographic features. At present, drainage crossing datasets are largely missing or available with variable quality. While previous studies have investigated basic convolutional neural network (CNN) models for drainage crossing characterization, it remains unclear if advanced deep learning models will improve the accuracy of drainage crossing classification. Although HRDEM-derived …

Examining The Transition Planning Process For Students With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sara Elizabeth Mathis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically experience less postsecondary success when compared to their neurotypical peers. The specific problem addressed in this study is that many students with ASD in the rural communities of Southwest Missouri are not experiencing post-graduation success. Guided by Schlossberg’s transition theory and Kohler’s taxonomy for transition programming 2.0, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore secondary special education teachers’ perceptions of the transition planning process for students with ASD related to successes, challenges, and needed support. Ten special education teachers, representing five different schools, who worked directly with the transition …