Digital Commons Network^™

Who Leaves Home? Parenting Style And Personality As Predictors Of College Students’ Intent To Study Abroad, Katelyn Sutton

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This study examines how parenting styles and personality factors influence college students’ intentions to study abroad. Using the Five-Factor Model and Baumrind’s parenting framework, it explores how authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting relate to personality and students’ likelihood of pursuing international education, addressing a gap in research on early developmental influences. A sample of 156 undergraduate students from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University completed measures of personality (NEO-FFI), parenting style (Parental Authority Questionnaire), and study-abroad intention. Participants were divided into two groups: those who intend to study abroad and those who do not, allowing for direct …

Spectator 2026-04-30, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

What Remains, Hailie Adamczak

Honors Theses

What Remains is a balletic contemporary dance work that explores the emotional complexity of growing older, leaving home, and returning to places that no longer feel the same. Rooted in personal experience, the piece examines the tension between memory and identity, questioning whether home is a physical place or a feeling that slowly changes over time. Through movement, music, lighting, and costume design, the work reflects the bittersweet realization that certain people, places, and experiences continue to shape us long after we leave them behind.

The choreography follows a central soloist navigating themes of belonging, conformity, grief, and self-discovery. Structured …

Expression And Functional Characterization Of Nell2 In Neural Development, Autumn M. Underwood, Jelena Kolundzija, Jessica Lumakovska, Chizu M. Nakamoto M.D. Phd., Masaru Nakamoto M.D. Phd.

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Correct functioning of the nervous system is critically dependent on the formation of precise neuronal networks. These networks are established during development through navigation of axons guided by external molecular cues that attract or repel growing axons. In mammals, binocular vision is established by axon projections from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of each eye to both sides of the brain. RGC axons from the right and left eyes are segregated in different layers/domains in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus, the main target of RGC axons. This projection pattern provides the anatomical basis for disparity-based stereopsis. Nell2 …

What Makes Leaders In Human Services Effective? A Pilot Study Linking Systems Thinking, Perspective-Taking, And Leadership Success, Ryan Witterschein

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Leadership effectiveness is a persistent challenge in human services nonprofits, where organizations serving individuals with disabilities and complex needs have grown dramatically but lack validated tools for assessing the cognitive competencies that distinguish effective leaders. This quantitative pilot study introduces the ABA Leadership Assessment Tool version 2.0 (ABLA 2.0), a 48-item instrument integrating transformational and transactional leadership frameworks with three constructs from Relational Frame Theory—perspective-taking, temporal reasoning, and systems thinking. Eight Board Certified Behavior Analysts in organizational leadership roles completed the assessment, yielding 100% completion and strong preliminary reliability across all subscales (α = .71–.94). Leaders who demonstrated stronger cognitive …

Separating Access Legitimacy From Utilization Analytics: A Two-Layer Evaluation Model For Philanthropy And Development, Stephanie Zabriskie

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

This article introduces a two-layer evaluation model for philanthropic and development decision-making in access-based interventions. The first layer treats Access as Outcome (AAO) as a recognized outcome when essential goods, services or resources are delivered through a viable delivery pathway, without requiring post-access utilization or compliance to validate legitimacy. The second layer evaluates post-access variation through System Coherence Conditions (SCC), defined as internal alignment across governance and decision-making, distribution and logistics, social accountability and norms, and scarcity management and continuity, which explain differences in utilization, continuity, and downstream effects as signals of system coherence rather than as retroactive worthiness thresholds. …

General Education Teacher Experiences With Implementing Inclusion In Middle School, Kelly Anne Bodkin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A state in the Pacific Northwest implemented an initiative to increase access to the general education setting for students with disabilities; however, students with disabilities continue to perform significantly below grade level standards despite the increase in inclusion. Guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory of self-efficacy, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of the challenges, successes, and necessary resources of eight general education teachers who teach students with disabilities in their classrooms. Semistructured interviews were conducted with eight general education teachers teaching students with disabilities in the general education setting. Thematic analysis using deductive …

Successful Strategies Business Leaders Use To Implement Artificial Intelligence For Achieving Financial Benefits, Swain C. Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) strategies can erode organizational performance. Senior business leaders who struggle to integrate AI into core operations may find their organizations facing increased costs, reduced efficiency, and weakened competitiveness. Grounded in Lewin’s change management theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore effective strategies business leaders use to implement AI technologies to reduce costs and improve profitability. The participants were 10 senior business leaders who successfully implemented AI strategies within their organizations and were recruited via professional networking platforms. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available …

Silicone Wristband Based Passive Sampling Methods Development And Evaluation For Use In Community Exposure Studies, Emily Broniewicz, Sophie Novak, Kenneth Brown, Julie Peller

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

Indoor air quality is a critical determinant of human health, particularly in communities located near industrial activity, where residents experience disproportionate exposure to harmful pollutants and spend a greater proportion of time indoors. Outdoor sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include emissions from industrial processes, vehicle exhaust, fuel storage, and manufacturing operations. Indoor environments further contribute to personal exposure, as they are emitted from building materials, paints, adhesives, carpets, furniture, cleaning agents, personal care products, and consumer electronics. Combined, these sources create complex exposure profiles associated with adverse health outcomes, including respiratory disease, neurological impairment, endocrine disruption, and cancer. As …

Design And Analysis Of Solar Furnace Support Systems, Samuel Starkenburg, Zhengxiong Liu, Jesse Rayburn, Grant Engelbert, Cody Teske, Austin Luna

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The solar furnace at Valparaiso University’s Solar Energy Research Facility concentrates sunlight to heat a reactor, which is necessary for chemical reactions such as thermochemical hydrogen production. During the spring of 2026, work was done to ensure smooth operation of the solar furnace in the future. The furnace’s concentrating ability depends on the facets being oriented to the correct focal length. Analysis has shown that the concentrator could achieve a better concentration if it were refocused. The focusing process includes positioning a mirror at the concentrator’s center of curvature to reflect a laser towards a facet, then adjusting the facet …

High-Altitude Balloon (Hab) Flight 1: From Flight Dynamics To Payload Recovery, Victoria Kelly

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

High-Altitude Balloon (HAB)  Flight1 was dedicated to launching, tracking, and recovering a high-altitude balloon. Since HABs ascend to stratospheric altitudes, this student-led project aims to explore the conditions found in near space by carrying scientific payloads. Additionally, the balloon launching infrastructure developed under BCON BAND offers a cost-effective and repeatable method for  testing and validating future satellite capabilities prior to launch.

Survival Of The Fittest: Extremophilic Actinomycetes As The Future Of Antibiotic Treatment, Kyley Nelson, Ben Reddan

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The antibiotic resistance crisis is an emerging global health threat. In 2019 alone, 1.27 million deaths were attributed to antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and researchers predict the problem will worsen without intervention. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a primary model for this crisis because it utilizes genomic adaptations to bypass β-lactam antibiotics. Although temperate actinomycetes have historically provided the majority of clinical antibiotics, recent bioprospecting has revealed that extremophilic actinomycetes represent a critical untapped resource. These organisms exhibit several adaptations to thrive in extreme environments, which results in the production of novel secondary metabolites and resilient extracellular enzymes. This literature review …

The Pressure Is On For Pediatric Primary Lymphedema (Ple): Guiding Future Occupational Therapy Clinicians To Address The Unmet Needs And Enhance Care At An Academic Health Center, Ginger A. Kohler

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

Objective: Pediatric primary lymphedema (PLE) in adolescents is a rare, chronic condition frequently associated with delayed diagnosis and limited healthcare provider awareness. The purpose of this capstone project was to enhance Entry‑Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Students’ knowledge of the characteristics, management strategies, and available resources for PLE in adolescents, while increasing awareness of the critical role of occupational therapists certified in lymphedema therapy.

Methods: A hybrid educational module consisting of two one‑hour sessions, one asynchronous and one in‑person, was developed and delivered to Residential Entry-Level OTD Students at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Module content included …

Applying Lean Six Sigma To Optimize Pediatric Liver Transplant Workflows: An Investigational Quality Improvement Initiative And Process Improvement Framework, Sarah E. Auletta

Online/Hybrid MPH Integrative Learning Experience (capstone projects)

For children with end-stage liver disease, liver transplantation is the only cure. While organ scarcity is a national challenge, internal pre-listing processes remain within an institution's control. This quality improvement initiative applied Lean Six Sigma and mixed-methods process mapping to the pediatric deceased donor liver transplant pathway at Boston Children's Hospital. By integrating five years of electronic health record data with multidisciplinary interviews, the project developed a comprehensive process map and performance dashboard.

The study revealed a median of 65 days elapsed between referral and waitlist activation—a timeline entirely within internal operational control. This delay was concentrated in two specific …

Knowledge Gaps In High-Energy Sacral Fracture Treatment And Management, Ashraf N. El Naga, Marko H. Neva, Ahmed Abdelazim Hassan, Gregory D. Schroeder, Mohammad El-Sharkawi, Sebastian F. Bigdon, Andrei F. Joaquim, Klaus Schnake, Richard Bransford, Emre Yilmaz

Rothman Institute Papers

High-energy sacral fractures (HESF) are often challenging injuries due to the location of the sacrum at the junction of the spine and pelvis, the complex biomechanics of the pelvic ring and the wide spectrum of injury patterns, which make treatment standardization challenging. Despite advances in classification systems - particularly the AOSpine Sacral Injury Classification - significant gaps remain in understanding optimal management. To review and discuss the management and identify knowledge gaps related to HESF. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, focusing on five domains: 1. Relative instability and biomechanics affected in different injury patterns; 2. The significance …

Arc Suppression Method For Grounding Fault Based On Additional Energy Loop, Ming Li, Chengzhi Wei, Yang Liu, Runhong Huang, Ruifeng Zhao, Jiangang Lu, Yizhe Chen, Zejun Huang

Journal of Electric Power Science and Technology

The problems of low utilization and high cost of traditional arc suppression devices can be effectively solved by a multi-function arc suppression device (MF-ASD). However, active power is consumed by the MF-ASD during arc suppression. How to realize the DC-link voltage stability of the active module without an additional power supply unit is worth further discussion. An arc suppression method for grounding faults based on an additional energy loop is proposed. First, the topological structure and working principle of the MF-ASD are briefly described. Second, the influence mechanism of traditional arc suppression methods on the output active power and energy …

Arc Resonant Trajectory Soft Starting Strategy Of Llc Resonant Converter And Its Experimental Verification, Di Wu, Faqiang Wang, Baohai Zhang

Journal of Electric Power Science and Technology

LLC converters offer outstanding advantages when used i n data center power supply applications. To solve the problems of slow start-up of LLC resonant converters during traditional down-frequency soft starting and high MCU calculation and storage pressure in the process of optimal trajectory control soft starting, an arc resonant trajectory soft starting strategy based on trajectory control is proposed. The two charging stages of an LLC converter under the strategy are analyzed, and an adjustment stage, an entry stage, and an exit stage are designed based on the charging stages, which effectively suppresses the transient current overshoot phenomenon in the …

Reliability Analysis Of Photovoltaic System Based On Output Prediction, Feilong Zhai, Xingyong Zhao, Lilong Hao, Zhiyi Zhang, Qiang Yan, Xing Wen

Journal of Electric Power Science and Technology

To study the reliability of photovoltaic (PV) power generation in the context of "double high" (i.e., high penetration of renewable energy plus high penetration of power electronics equipment) of PV systems, this paper proposes a method of analyzing the reliability of PV output based on the combination of output prediction and an improved Monte Carlo method. Firstly, output characteristic analysis and output prediction are performed on the PV historical data to obtain the probability distribution of PV output under different meteorological conditions. After that, a probabilistic model of PV system reliability is established by taking into account the failure rate …

Children Facing The Law: Addressing Narcotics Offenses Through Restorative Justice, Nashriana Nashriana, Desia R. Banjarani

Indonesia Law Review

In recent years, the increasing number of children involved in narcotics-related crimes in Indonesia has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the current juvenile justice system. While the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Law promotes the use of diversion and restorative justice, in practice, punitive measures such as imprisonment remain the dominant approach. This gap between normative ideals and legal reality highlights the need for reform. Drawing from comparative legal frameworks in countries such as the United States, Germany, and Spain, this study explores the potential of therapeutic treatment as a more humane and effective response to juvenile narcotics offenses. Therapeutic …

Cyanosis-Associated Coagulopathy In Neonates Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Scoping Review, Lily Crickmar

Student Works

2. Structured summary:

A. Background: Patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease exhibit coagulation abnormalities related to chronic hypoxemia, which may increase the risk of bleeding and thrombosis, particularly during cardiopulmonary bypass.

B. Objective: This scoping review mapped the existing literature on coagulation disturbances and perioperative hemostatic outcomes in pediatric patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease.

C. Methods: 14 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified through structured database searching. The data were collected and synthesized descriptively due to heterogeneity in study design, patient populations, and coagulation assessment methods.

D. Results: Across studies, cyanotic patient physiology was associated with platelet dysfunction, …

Discovering The Genetics Underlying Speciation Traits In Heuchera (Coral Bells), Tajinder Singh

Honors Theses

Hybridization is a key evolutionary mechanism for generating biological diversity, ultimately shaping diversification and adaptation of plant lineages in natural and agroecosystems.  Our understanding of the frequency, distribution, and significance of hybridization is rapidly increasing, but the external driving forces that dictate why certain species hybridize, and others do not remain obscure. The physical traits that shape gene flow and trait sharing among species are likely to be among the key factors that directly control hybridization. Gene flow in most plants is mediated by pollinating insects and thus by pollination syndromes, which are suites of floral traits that have evolved …

Inconsistent Post-Fall Follow-Up And Documentation In A Skilled Nursing Facility, Brooke Beier

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Falls remain a significant safety concern in skilled nursing facilities and are associated with increased morbidity, hospitalization, and loss of independence among older adults. While fall prevention strategies are widely implemented, inconsistent post-fall follow up and incomplete documentation can negatively impact residents and the facility. At a moderate-sized skilled nursing facility in central Minnesota, a review of recent fall reports identified inconsistencies in post-fall follow-up documentation, as well as gaps in staff education and the absence of a clearly defined post-fall documentation policy. The facility experienced 44 resident falls in the month of January alone, highlighting the urgency of addressing …

State-Level Analysis Of Minimum Wage And Teen Employment Across The U.S. In 2024, Owen Siegel

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

This study examines whether differences in state minimum wage levels are associated with variation in teen employment across U.S. states in 2024. Using a cross-sectional regression framework, the analysis estimates the relationship between minimum wage policy and the employment rate of individuals aged 16–19 while controlling for educational attainment, demographic composition, income, and regional differences. The results indicate that higher minimum wages are associated with lower teen employment rates. Specifically, a one-dollar increase in the minimum wage is associated with an estimated 0.87 percentage-point decrease in teen employment, holding other factors constant. This result is statistically significant and economically meaningful, …

The House Capstone Project, Josh Delange

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Capstone project on The House

Implementation Of Positive Reinforcement To Promote Staff Adherence To Bowel And Bladder Plans At A Long-Term Care Facility, Alfonso Segura Sanchez

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Background: Bowel and bladder plans (BBPs), also known as toileting programs, are individualized restorative nursing programs that have strategies to promote continence in residents and reduce the negative consequences of incontinence (Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual Version 1.20.1, 2025). Purpose: Senior nursing students implemented positive reinforcement in a quality improvement (QI) project to reduce rates of incontinence and inconsistent adherence to BBPs at Elim Wellspring, a skilled nursing facility for long-term care in Princeton, MN. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Minnesota Department of Health, the most recent report on quality indicators for …

Mapping Mgmt Methylation Sites That May Predict Chemotherapy Success In Glioblastoma, Kennedy Bueno

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults, with a median survival of 15 months post-diagnosis. Resistance to standard temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy is common and is strongly influenced by O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), a DNA repair enzyme that reverses TMZ induced DNA damage. Reduced MGMT expression is associated with greater TMZ sensitivity and improved survival. Although MGMT promoter cytosine-phosphate-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) methylation is linked to treatment response, the individual CpG sites responsible for MGMT silencing remain unclear. This research aims to identify which sites are necessary to suppress MGMT expression and increase TMZ sensitivity. This project will map …

The Scripted Body: A Historical Analysis Of How Vituperative Narratives Shaped Disparities In Women’S Healthcare, Eva Fava-Rodrigues

Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Cleft Palate And The Coordination Of Wnt Signaling And Pax9 In Murine Palatogenesis, Landon Wyatt

Honors Theses

Cleft palate is a common craniofacial birth defect that arises when the molecular and morphogenetic events guiding secondary palate formation lose coordination during a narrow developmental window. In mice, successful palatogenesis requires the paired palatal shelves to grow vertically, elevate above the tongue, and fuse at the midline; disruption of any of these steps can result in clefting. Two important regulators of this process are canonical Wnt signaling and the transcription factor Pax9, both of which contribute to normal palatal mesenchymal growth and patterning during early development. This paper first examines whether altered Dkk1/Wnt signaling contributes to the Pax9-null palate …

“Under The Fig-Tree”: Post-Revolutionary Literature Influences American Government, Clara Kernodle

Honors Theses

The literary context of post-Revolutionary America developed a broad sense of the American character as virtuous, hardworking, and responsible. In the 1780s, three American writers, representing these three categories of literature, penned their perspectives on human character and society, to much commercial success. J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, Royall Tyler, and Philip Freneau described their situations and opinions with candor and wit, helped spark a broad sense of the American character, and influenced the authors of the nation’s founding documents. At the end of that same decade, Anti-Federalist political philosophy drew from an established literary conception of the American …

Ai-Driven Multispectral Drone Monitoring For Afforestation In Arid Environments, Hesham Morgan, Ali Elgendy, Brandon Tran, Tamer Ismail, Mohamed M. Moursy, Yehya Kh. Shehadeh, Ahmed Elgharib, Ahmed Abdullah Al-Dughairi, Ali El Mubarak, Khaled Allam Harhash, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Monitoring large-scale afforestation projects in arid and semi-arid environments requires accurate, high-resolution, and repeatable methods to assess tree survival and growth. In this study, we integrated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral imaging with an advanced object detection framework to evaluate vegetation establishment in the Shuayb Al-Budai afforestation site, part of the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Natural Reserve, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Multispectral datasets were acquired using a MicaSense Altum-PT sensor and processed through a masked Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) with two backbone architectures: ResNet-101 and VGG19-BN. The Mask R-CNN–ResNet-101 model achieved superior performance, with an overall accuracy …