Digital Commons Network^™

A Review Of Recent Studies On The Pathogenesis Of Systemic Sclerosis: Focus On Fibrosis Pathways, Sergio A. Jimenez, Fabian A. Mendoza, Sonsoles Piera-Velazquez

Scleroderma Center Faculty Papers

Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by the development of frequently progressive cutaneous and internal organ fibrosis accompanied by severe vascular alterations. The pathogenesis of SSc is highly complex and, despite extensive investigation, has not been fully elucidated. Numerous studies have suggested that unknown etiologic factors cause multiple alterations in genetically receptive hosts, leading to SSc development and progression. These events may be functionally and pathologically interconnected and include: 1) Structural and functional microvascular and endothelial cell abnormalities; 2) Severe oxidative stress and high reactive oxygen species (3); Frequently progressive cutaneous and visceral fibrosis; …

Zonal Hepatocellular Responses To Acute Ethanol: Impacts On Mitochondrial Function And Metabolism, Matthew T. Savoca

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Background: Ethanol (EtOH) consumption causes hepatocellular mitochondrial depolarization (mtDepo) and mitophagy. Here, the Aims were to develop techniques to characterize sublobular hepatocellular metabolism and the distribution of mtDepo and mitophagy after acute EtOH. Methods: Wildtype and GFP-LC3 transgenic mice were treated with EtOH or vehicle and administered the covalently labeling mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ) reporter, MitoTracker Red (MTR), and/or the non-covalent ΔΨ reporter, rhodamine 123 (Rh123), prior to intravital imaging, liver fixation, or hepatocyte isolation. After in vivo MTR, hepatocytes were isolated and sorted. Enrichment in E-cadherin (ECAD) and cytochrome P4502E1 in periportal (PP) and pericentral (PC) hepatocytes, respectively, validated …

The Complexity Of A Simple Code Comment: Genre Conventions, Social Influence, And Rhetorical Functions, Amelia Hill

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Code comments are a common tool developers and engineers use to communicate information about their coding project. Researchers define code comments as a natural language (e.g. English) comment attached to a line of code that explains the function and/or purpose of the line. This study explored how developers and engineers write and discuss code comments, including communication with themselves and teammates. The study investigated the genre conventions of code comments, and how developers and engineers use them beyond the above definition (e.g. personal commenting, emotional outbursts, other “types” of comments).

Key findings indicate that because code comments do not have …

Examining Multiple Layers Of Course Materials Cost: Experiences Of Private College Students, Virginia Clinton-Lisell, Lindsey Gwozdz

Education, Health & Behavior Studies Faculty Publications

Students in private, nonprofit (independent) higher education institutions, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, often struggle with the costs of course materials like textbooks. However, much less is known about these students and how to assist them with these cost barriers compared to their peers at public institutions. It is also not well known how students perceive institutional course marking in which filters are available to identify courses based on the cost of their materials during registration. To address this lack of knowledge, students at four independent, private colleges (N = 316) were surveyed about their experiences with the cost …

Special Joint Meeting Of The Finance Committee & Audit Subcommittee Meeting - Open Session Book 04/15/2025, Uc Law Sf

2025 Board of Directors Agenda and Materials

No abstract provided.

Warriors And Guardians: Police Recruit Role Orientation And Heterogeneity, Robert Boxerman

Dissertations

American police have experienced an expansion of duties over the last century, and their function has become increasingly diverse. As a result, researchers have developed role orientation typologies to understand how officers view themselves, their attitudes toward their work, and their responsibilities. One such typology is the warrior/guardian framework, where warrior-oriented officers see themselves as crime-fighting soldiers in conflict with criminals, while guardian-oriented officers view themselves as protectors of the community and providers of broader public services. Despite its popularity, there is limited empirical evidence supporting this framework. Further, little research examines how police recruits differentially view their role as …

A Levinasian Investigation Of Leaders Learning Humility, Spencer Fumio Yamada

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the development of humility in individuals and business organizations. Humility in business leadership has received increased attention in recent years; however, little is known regarding how individuals and organizations become more humble. The first article in this dissertation is a theoretical examination of humility and argues that the philosophy of ethicist and phenomenologist Emmanuel Levinas provides a theoretical lens by which the development of humility could be productively explored. Levinas argued that the human experience is based on the ethical responsibility that individuals have towards one another, providing a set of assumptions for an examination of professional …

Supporting Female Nontraditional Students In Higher Education: Exploring Instructors And Instructor Leads' Experiences, Adriana Alba

Theses and Dissertations

Women nontraditional students--defined as those who are over 25, delay college enrollment after high school, attend part-time, have dependent children, are single parents, work full-time while studying, or are financially independent--face unique challenges balancing academic pursuits with family and professional responsibilities in online education, yet research on effective support practices remains limited. This study examined the experiences of six BYU-Pathway Worldwide instructors and instructor leads (four instructors and two instructor leads) who support predominantly women nontraditional students in online courses. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of in-depth interviews and follow-up conversations, the research explored how instructors navigate supporting these students. …

Development Of A Qualitative Spot Assay For Zinc Detection In Fortified Cereal Grain Matrices, Ashley L. Lamborn

Theses and Dissertations

The present thesis is a compilation of a literature review, journal manuscript, and two standard operating procedures (SOP) on the qualitative determination of zinc in fortified cereal grain products and matrices. The literature review addresses the premise of the research as well as potential solutions for the development of a rapid qualitative spot assay for zinc determination. Quality assurance assays affirm the presence of micronutrients in food fortification initiatives, but no rapid qualitative spot methods for the assessment of zinc currently exist. Chromogenic reagents that may perform a key role in the rapid determination of zinc are identified. The journal …

California Board Of Accountancy, Shun Lam, Erol Kilic

California Regulatory Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

How Politicians Use Public Relations Strategies To Manipulate The Political Opinions Of Young People, Kylie O’Neil

Honors Theses

With the rise of the internet and social media, politicians have begun to utilize evolving public relations (PR) strategies in the online sphere to sway the political opinions of young people who can or will one day vote. This thesis will analyze these public relations strategies and how they are intended to manipulate the people consuming the content and answer the question of how politicians use public relations strategies to manipulate the political opinions of young people. The data will be collected by monitoring the news as well as social media profiles of multiple politicians on both sides of the …

Dissecting Discourse On Discord: A Linguistic Ethnography Of A Discord Server, Amy Lemmon

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

To deepen the understanding of communication in the evolving landscape of digital social spaces, this study conducts an ethnographic analysis of a private Discord server. Data collection methods include participant observation, field notes, interviews, and surveys, which are analyzed for patterns in notable discourse features within a Discord server containing multiple text and voice channels. Prior digital linguistic ethnography research, such as Lauren Collister’s work on World of Warcraft, has examined multimodal communication and mode-switching in live, in-game interactions. Unlike Collister’s study, which focused on real-time speech and text with immediate responses, this research explores asynchronous text-based discourse extending …

Fighting Methane With Microbes, Grady Bell, Jared L. Talley

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The dairy industry is and has been a large contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions because of the production of methane during ruminant digestion. As attention on the changing climate increases, the dairy industry has received an increased backlash for its impact. This research seeks to build an understanding of the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of various professions in the dairy industry regarding microbial feed supplements, with an emphasis on those which aim to reduce enteric methane emissions (cow burps) while increasing milk yield. Qualitative data will be gathered and quantized through a survey that will be distributed across the …

The "Anxious" Generation: How Older Generations' Value Systems Endanger Gen Z'S Development, Sailor Nelson

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

There is a growing gap between Generation Z and older generations. (e.g., Spencer, 2023). This project explores how misconceptions about Gen Z’s value systems and behaviors contribute to social and emotional development declines. Using Jonathan Haidt and Jesse Graham’s Moral Foundations Theory, along with themes from Dr. April Masarik’s Human Universals Project in the Human Development & Ecology Lab, this research examines how moral values differ across generations and how these differences lead to conflict, misunderstanding, and unnecessary judgement. Misconceptions about Gen Z, such as perceptions of them being “lazy,” “entitled,” or “anxious,” are analyzed in the context of Human …

Department Of Insurance, Lisette Cruz, Erol Kilic

California Regulatory Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines For Perioperative Insulin Pump Usage And Glycemic Control During The Perioperative Period, Duane Robinson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

According to the International Diabetes Federation, Diabetes Mellitus (DM) affects approximately 537 million people, representing approximately 10% of the worldwide population aged 20 to 79. Approximately 400,000 people with DM use continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) pumps. CSII pump therapy mimics pancreatic insulin release, aiding in maintaining adequate insulin levels. Individuals with DM are more likely to require surgery than individuals without the disease. Among diabetics, people with Type 1 DM (T1D) are more likely to need medical interventions than individuals with Type 2 DM (T2DM). CSII therapy maintains blood glucose levels within a programmed range and decreases blood glucose …

The Psychological Effects Of Ice Conditions In Long-Term Space Travel, Jamen W. Barker

Student Works

The psychological effects of long durations spent in space remain largely unexplored, as do potential treatments for these effects. This review compiled data from 19 articles found via searches on the APAPsychInfo and Google Scholar databases, as well as a few ancillary sources. These studies are relevant to the study of the psychological effects of space travel and isolated, confined, or extreme (ICE) environments, and research into means of addressing them, as well as limitations in current literature on the topic. Studies found sleep deprivation, largely due to microgravity, to be a contributing factor to increased stress in space. Social …

Artificial Intelligence In The Secondary Classroom: Exploring Teacher Perceptions, Malachi Windemuller

Honors Theses

This qualitative study explores secondary school teachers' perceptions and attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) integration in classroom settings. Through in-depth interviews with educators at three diverse high schools across Colorado, Indiana, and Michigan during Fall 2024, the research investigates how teachers understand, implement, and wrestle with AI technology in their pedagogical practice. The study specifically examines four key areas: school dynamics around AI adoption, teachers' personal use of AI tools, student engagement with AI, and recommendations for new educators entering the field.

Key findings reveal that fear and uncertainty remain significant barriers to AI adoption among educators, particularly regarding its …

Key

California Regulatory Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

Themes Of Moral Injury In The Field Of Asl Interpreting, Samantha Michaelson

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

This research project explores connections between a moral injury framework and the recognition and mitigation of ethical stress and trauma experienced by ASL-English interpreters. I have employed strategies such as thick description, textual analysis, and a narrative synthesis of existing literature on moral injury and ethical stress in interpreting to arrive at my findings. The study explains Demand Control Schema (DCS) and the Code of Professional Conduct (CPC) as valuable tools for interpreters to discuss and address ethical stresses that arise in their work. Additionally, I examine the concept of role space and its relevance to the experience of ethical/moral …

Lindenwood Students’ Research Published In International Journal, Lindenwood University

Archived Lindenwood Press Releases

No abstract provided.

April 15, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Neurodevelopmental Comorbidities In Early-Onset 5q-Sma Treated With Disease-Modifying Therapies: A Scoping Review, Carson Konop

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Recent studies have reported possible neurodevelopmental comorbidities in some early onset 5q-spinal muscular atrophy (5q-SMA) patients treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMT). This scoping review aims to determine the current state of the published and grey literature on neurodevelopmental comorbidities in early onset 5q-SMA patients treated with nusinersen, risdiplam, or onasemnogene abeparvovec. Eligible records included primary literature (journal papers excluding review articles), and conference proceedings (abstracts or posters) published in 2016 or later. A total of 6,310 database and grey literature records were screened, of which five primary literature and six conference proceedings were included. Ten records used quantitative approaches (the …

Targeted Communication For Climate Denial: Ideologically Framed Survey Messaging, Allie Hampton, Jacob Meyer, Sean Walther, William Farkas

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Climate change denial prevents meaningful environmental action. Current approaches, like overwhelming deniers with lists of facts and polarizing language, exclude individuals who might otherwise engage in discussion about climate issues. With an understanding of the barriers to entry of climate communication, local demographics, and successful communication strategy, we addressed the primary research question: what is the relationship between climate change messaging and respondents’ opinions on environmental issues? We collected survey data of 108 people on Boise State’s campus using two distinct flyer designs: one explicitly referencing “climate change” and another emphasizing “Idaho’s outdoors.” We found that individuals who engaged with …

The Syringa Project, Madison Miller, Eryn Pierce

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

The Syringa Project addresses critical healthcare access gaps in Idaho following a 22% reduction in OBGYN providers since 2022. This research explores how technology-enabled community support can mitigate barriers to reproductive healthcare in politically complex environments.

Through surveys of Idaho residents, I identified key challenges: 74% of respondents report scheduling difficulties, 68% face insurance coverage issues, and 42% postpone care due to previous negative experiences. Based on these findings, I developed personas representing diverse healthcare needs and designed interventions using trauma-informed principles.

The project delivers solutions through multiple channels: a mobile application with a healthcare resource chatbot, guided meditation tools …

Organic Waste To Energy: Diverting Campus Waste For Sustainable Energy Production, Luke Theisen

2025 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Boise State University produces organic waste in the form of food scraps. This is the inevitable result of hosting thousands of people on campus every day, as well as owning many residential halls, multiple buffet style kitchens, and allowing the operations of small food outlets. Additionally, Boise State often supports large sporting events, concerts, lecture opportunities, and more.

The purpose of this research project is to perform an approximate measurement of the organic waste, so that it can be redirected from the landfill and potentially generate energy here on campus. Then, further action and /or an appropriate solution can be …

Sincerely,, Megan E. Hudson

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Sincerely, is a personal study of how language is used to document and process past relationships. The work is my own experience with utilizing letter-writing to find closure with those whom the letters may never be sent. Through viewing the writing process and watching heartfelt messages write themselves out for none of the recipients to ever see, one can see how language and catharsis go hand in hand.

Building Wealth One Sentence At A Time: A Capitalist’S Guide To Criminal Justice, Alexandra J. Lindell

Masters Projects

This project explores the underutilized profit potential of criminal justice in the United States. Its systemic design and aggressive market positioning have made long-term success possible. Nevertheless, this is just the beginning; there are new revenue streams to unlock and untapped markets to capture. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research identifies key historical policies, how collateral consequences contribute to customer retention and acquisition, and current barriers to profit maximization. The findings emphasize the importance of a coordinated, multi-level strategy involving lawmakers, media, corporations, and private stakeholders to protect and expand revenue streams, manipulate public perception, and disrupt reform efforts. By …

Reconstructing Faulkner: Project Digitizes Author's Personal Library, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – A new University of Mississippi project seeks to share Nobel Prize-winning author William Faulkner's library with the world.

Feature Typology And L2 Proficiency Matter: L3 Acquisition Of Portuguese, Mila Tasseva-Kurktchieva, Danielle Fahey

Faculty Publications

To determine the source of transfer in third language acquisition (L3A), we tested the effects of grammatical feature typology and L2 Spanish proficiency on the comprehension and production of grammatical [gender] and [number] in the early stages of L3A of Portuguese. We distinguish between the two features based on their participation in the lexical-conceptual structure of the lemma and its interaction with the morpho-syntactic derivation. L1 English speakers were tested on their knowledge of the features in both their L2 and their L3 through a grammaticality judgment task and an elicited production task. Results show that L3 learners transfer only …