Digital Commons Network^™

Pathways To The Streets: A Proposed Model Examining The Factors Influencing Gang Affiliation And Involvement Among Young Black Men In The United States, Ceauna L. Juarez

Dissertations

This literature review examined gang involvement among young Black men in the United States and explored the factors that contribute to joining gangs and the consequences that may follow. The first chapter provides a brief history of gang involvement in Black communities and introduces Erikson’s development model, self-determination theory, and the minorities’ diminished returns as the three theoretical frameworks. The second chapter discusses common challenges faced by young Black men who are currently involved in gangs or are at risk of joining. The chapter explores issues such as life expectancy after gang involvement, adverse childhood experiences, mental health concerns, and …

Scope: Deep Learning-Based Side-Channel Evaluation Across Classical And Post-Quantum Cryptographic Implementations, Nouf Nur Nabilah

All Theses

A cryptographic algorithm that is mathematically secure can still be broken since its hardware implementation leaks secret information through power consumption or electromagnetic emissions. These vulnerabilities are applicable to widely deployed classical encryption schemes as well as emerging post-quantum schemes which are standardized to provide quantum resistance. This thesis evaluated how deep learning changes such side-channel attacks across both through a unified study of four attacks, spanning a classical block cipher and two protected post-quantum schemes, and tested learned methods against the conditions that separated a laboratory result from a practical attack. Profiled deep-learning attacks recovered keys efficiently under favorable …

Evaluating The Motivations Of Participants In Online Equine Extension Courses, Sarah Vos

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Traditional program evaluations emphasize participant demographics, knowledge gain, behavior change, and program impact. However, evaluating participant motivation can provide addition insight into why participants enroll in extension programs and help explain participant engagement and persistence throughout a program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate participant motivation in two online equine extension courses and examine potential relationships between motivation, demographics, and course delivery method, and describe participant engagement in Virtual Horse Judging Camp (VHJC). This cross-sectional study utilized convenience sampling of participants in two online equine extension courses, Horse Adult Leader Training and Educational Resource (HALTER) and VHJC. The …

Discussion Of Text Revisited: Encouraging Chatting In The Classroom, Melissa Jessup, Ruth E. Jefferson Dr.

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Discussion of text in language and literacy instruction has historically been studied with small samples of learners. The study described in this article investigated the relationship between instructional practices associated with discussion of text (chatting about it) and the reading achievement of several subgroups. A large sample of readers (N = 148,800) from the National Assessment of Educational Progress was the subject of the study. Several subgroups, including students with disabilities and students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (students experiencing poverty), were statistically disaggregated; subgroup data and results of analyses are discussed. Suggestions for classroom application are included.

Empowering Future Educators: How Service-Learning Shapes Teacher Candidate Self-Efficacy And Understanding Of Book Access, Nancy F. Hulan, Morgan S. Major

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Literacy rates are historically low in areas where access to books is limited. Thus, students with limited exposure to books prior to school pose a unique challenge to teachers, who often feel unprepared to teach students from underserved populations. To help remedy this, teacher candidates need preparation that builds their abilities to provide both access to books and quality literacy instruction for students who live in poverty. The study described in this article investigated the impact of literacy-related community engagement on teacher candidates’ self-efficacy, their understanding of book access, and their perceptions of teachers’ roles in providing book access. Participants …

Machine Learning In Flow Cytometry For Acute Myeloid Leukemia Diagnosis: A Scoping Review, Katrina Jezzela M. Dela Pena Md, Mls (Ascp)

Other Specialties

Manuscript version:

Introduction: Flow cytometry is essential for the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but conventional analysis is labor-intensive, operator-dependent, and increasingly complex. Machine learning (ML) may support automated analysis; however, its readiness for clinical implementation remains unclear. This scoping review mapped ML approaches applied to flow cytometry for AML-related diagnosis.

Methods: PubMed was searched for English-language primary studies applying artificial intelligence, ML, or deep learning to human flow cytometry data for AML diagnosis or classification. Eligible studies reported diagnostic performance metrics. Study characteristics, preprocessing, data representation, model architecture, validation strategy, performance metrics, interpretability, and implementation considerations were descriptively …

Effective Traffic Routing Under Disastrous Events Through Machine Learning, Eric Itemuagbor

All Theses

Disastrous events such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods routinely disrupt transportation networks, preventing emergency response, evacuation, and the delivery of critical supplies. Conventional optimization-based routing methods offer strong theoretical guarantees but cannot scale and are often too slow to support time-sensitive decision-making during a disaster, while prior machine learning approaches to disaster routing have largely prioritized prediction accuracy over inference speed and data efficiency. This thesis investigated whether lightweight machine learning models can deliver both competitive routing accuracy and superior inference speed when trained on limited data, addressing a practical gap between existing research and real-world deployment needs.

The road …

Land And Language At St. Joseph’S Indian Industrial School And Beyond, Ciera R. Tucker

All NMU Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the impacts of the Indian boarding school era on Menominee people through using St. Joseph’s Indian Industrial School in Keshena, Wisconsin, as a focal point of study. Through analyzing the social and political contexts of the school, oral texts from St. Joseph’s survivors, and contemporary popular culture texts, this thesis examines the intergenerational impacts of the boarding school era on Menominee people and Indigenous people in general. I employ Indigenous methodologies from Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (Anishinaabe), Kathleen Absolon (Anishinaabe), and Shawn Wilson (Cree) to ground my approach to research and engagement with survivor testimonies. Further, I draw …

Cost-Effectiveness Evaluation Of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Chest Radiograph Interpretation For Tuberculosis Screening In Rural Health Units In The Philippines, Harold Henrison C. Chiu, Bryan Christopher C. Lao, Gloanne C. Adolor

Graduate School of Business Publications

Background: Tuberculosis remains a major public health burden in the Philippines, where diagnostic delays are amplified by limited radiology capacity in rural health units (RHUs) and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs). Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) using artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted chest radiograph interpretation may shorten the screening pathway and reduce reliance on scarce specialist readers. However, its economic value for RHUbased tuberculosis screening has not been fully evaluated.
Methods: We developed a decision-tree cost-effectiveness model in Microsoft Excel 365 to compare AI-assisted chest radiograph interpretation with conventional manual radiologist or teleradiology interpretation among a theoretical annual cohort of 1,000 presumptive tuberculosis …

Issue 26: Labour, Poverty, And Health Concerns Of Migrant Women And Girls Working As Kayayei In Ghana's Urban Centres, Comfort Baidoo, Robert Mcleman

International Migration Research Centre

Over the past four decades, growing numbers of women and girls have left northern Ghana for the country's cities, drawn by the promise of work, independence, and a chance to support their families. Many end up as kayayei, head porters who carry goods through Accra's crowded markets for a negotiated fee. Their labour keeps the informal economy moving, yet it comes at a steep personal cost: unpredictable earnings, punishing physical strain, unsafe housing, and a healthcare system that too often leaves them out. This brief draws together the available evidence on the economic and health conditions of kayayei in Greater-Accra. …

Leapp Writing Rubric, Chenell Loudermill, Tamar Greenwell

Purdue-LEaPP Assessment Toolkit

The LEaPP Writing Rubric can be used to assess foundational and compositional writing skills for all learners. Foundational skills that are assessed include capitalization, spacing, punctuation, and spelling. Compositional skills that are assessed include writing purpose, topic maintenance, vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar usage, and organization. This rubric allows an educator to quantify and categorize a learner’s writing skills as poor, emerging, developing or consistent. It can be tailored for use with any writing sample at the sentence, single paragraph, or essay level. This document contains directions for use and a brief scoring guide.

Leapp Decoding Screener, Chenell Loudermill, Tamar Greenwell

Purdue-LEaPP Assessment Toolkit

The LEaPP Decoding Screener is an educational tool to systematically map a learner's phoneme/grapheme knowledge and decoding skills along a progression. The screener starts with establishing phoneme/grapheme knowledge and continues to word level decoding skills from basic to advanced. The screener can be used in part or whole and can be repeated as needed for progress monitoring. Tables for data analysis are provided. Data from the decoding screener can be mapped to the scope and sequence progress monitoring form to help determine point of instruction.

Leapp Basic And Advanced Spelling Inventories, Chenell Loudermill, Tamar Greenwell

Purdue-LEaPP Assessment Toolkit

The LEaPP Basic and Advanced Spelling Inventories are educational tools to systematically map and track a learner’s ability to encode words containing spelling features along a progression. The Basic screener starts with single graphemes and closed syllable words and moves through additional concepts such as digraphs, blends, VCe, vocalic r, basic vowel teams, and basic roots and affixes. The Advanced screener starts with beginning advanced code such as blends and moves through additional advanced concepts such as vocalic r, vowel teams, diphthongs, complex consonants, roots, affixes, and syllable junctures. The screeners can be used in part or whole and can …

Analysis Of The Cannabinoid Compositions, Byproducts And Heavy Metals In Unregulated Cannabinoid Products By Hplc-Ms/Icp-Ms, Simone K. Melle

All NMU Master's Theses

The rapid expansion of unregulated hemp-derived products has created a need for analytical methods that characterize both cannabinoid composition and contaminant occurrence. This thesis used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify cannabidiol (CBD), Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in commercial hemp-derived products, laboratory-prepared hemp oils, cultivated hemp tissues, extracted material, and post-harvest soil. Commercial products showed wide cannabinoid variability, with several samples containing more than one target cannabinoid, while laboratory-prepared plant oils showed a more consistent profile dominated by …

Commitment To Community (2026), University Of Dayton. Campus Ministry, University Of Dayton. Student Development

Student Development Documents

Catholic Marianist vision of education makes the University of Dayton community unique. It shapes the warmth of welcome we experience and the family spirit we treasure. It calls us — across a variety of faith traditions and perspectives — to a learning and working environment where faith and life are integrated. It challenges us to take up the hard work necessary to build the spiritual, moral, physical and social dimensions of our community.

Behavior, expectations, policies and relationships at UD are guided by the Catholic moral tradition. This Commitment to Community highlights three Catholic Marianist principles for learning, working and …

Light & Faith: August 2026, Taylor University

Light & Faith

No abstract provided.

Content Mapping: An Experimental Analysis Of Missing Message Content, Jeannette Sutton

Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity Faculty Scholarship

The Warning-Response Model recommends the inclusion of five key content areas in warning messages to reduce information seeking that can lead to warning response delay: the message source, hazard (including its impact), affected location, recommended guidance, and time. Research has found that complete messages, that is, those that include all of five recommended content areas, help people make decisions about the protective actions they may take.  Unfortunately, a large majority of WEA messages omit information from one or more of the recommended content areas. This study examined the impact of omitting each of the five recommended content areas on message …

Evaluation Of Kentucky’S Work Zone Speed Camera Pilot Program: Speed And Crash Analyses, Xu Zhang, William Staats, Eric Green

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Kentucky introduced automated speed enforcement in work zones to mitigate hazards and improve the safety of motorists and workers. This study describes the impacts of automated speed enforcement at five pilot sites. Researchers analyzed speed data and crash data from pilot sites and paired control sites. The control sites and pilot sites had similar traffic volumes, lane configurations, and functional classifications. Analysis drew on over 15 million individual speed records captured using automated enforcement cameras as well as segment-level speed data from HERE.  Active enforcement at pilot sites was associated with lower mean, 85th-percentile, and 99th-percentile vehicle speeds. Average vehicle …

Modeling The Psychological And Technical Factors Influencing The Use Of Artificial Intelligence Tools Among Non-Native Arabic Learners: A Comparative Study In Egypt, Saudi Arabia, And Jordan., Mohammad Odeh, Alaa Al Din Musa, Ahmed Ragab Ali Ghalish, Montaser Adel Sayed Ahmed

All Works

This study aimed to develop a predictive longitudinal model of the psychological and technical factors influencing the use of artificial intelligence tools among non-native Arabic learners (international students) in three Arab countries: Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The study adopted an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) incorporating two psychological variables: trust in artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence anxiety. A quantitative longitudinal design with two time waves (T1 and T2) over a full academic semester was employed using Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis and PROCESS Macro for mediation. The sample consisted of 812 international students from public universities in …

Regional Biomechanical And Topographic Changes After Transepithelial Vs. Epithelium-Off Continuous Accelerated Corneal Cross-Linking In Keratoconus: Updated Stress-Strain Index As A Superior Biomarker, Bangxun Mao, Changchang He, Qian Ye, Weijia Liu, Daniela Oehring, Yiqian Li, Yuke Zhang, Xiaomeng L, Chenhao Zhao, Hongjie Hu, Jiawei Gong, Hanhui Hou, Yufeng Ye, Shihao Chen, Yiyu Li, Ahmed Elsheikh, Fangjun Bao

School of Health Professions

Purpose: To compare regional biomechanical and topographic outcomes between transepithelial (Epi-on) and epithelium-off (Epi-off) continuous accelerated corneal cross-linking (ACXL) in keratoconus. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Subjects: Seventy-seven keratoconic eyes were included: 45 with Epi-on ACXL and 32 with Epi-off ACXL. Methods: All eyes underwent ACXL (10 mW/cm ², 7.2 J/cm ²). Pentacam HR and Corvis ST measurements were obtained preoperatively (pre), and at 1 month (pos1m), and 6 months (pos6m) postoperatively. The SSIv2m, M, and J ₀, J ₄₅ were evaluated across central (0–3 mm), paracentral (3–6 mm), and peripheral (6–9 mm) regions. Correlated measurements were …

Visually Guided Foraging In Virtual Worlds: Domain-General Properties Of Search Behaviour, Sarah Salo, Alastair Smith

School of Psychology

Everyday human behaviour involves economically driven search for visually relevant targets in complex three-dimensional environments. However, psychological research has typically examined visual search and foraging mechanisms separately, with insights into search emphasising attentional efficiency, and accounts of foraging highlighting decision-making and cognitive control. In order to more closely examine the interrelation between these processes in fully motile environmental search, we devised a novel virtual reality paradigm that required participants to physically explore a large-scale 3D environment and collect multiple visually defined targets. The search environment was organised in patches, with search arrays presented across multiple tables. In single feature search, …

Knowledge, Physician Communication, And Psychological Predictors Of Willingness To Engage In Dementia Risk Reduction Across The Lifespan, Thomas Fisher

Dissertations

Dementia represents a growing global public health concern, with increasing evidence suggesting that a substantial portion of dementia risk may be attributable to modifiable lifestyle and health-related factors. However, relatively little is known about public knowledge of these risk factors, willingness to engage in dementia risk reducing behaviors, and psychological factors that may be associated with willingness. The present study examines these factors among adults living in the United States across the lifespan. Participants (N = 308) completed an anonymous online survey assessing dementia risk-factor knowledge, willingness to engage in dementia risk reducing behaviors, primary care provider communication regarding dementia …

Analysis Of A Process-Based Approach To Case Formulation And Treatment With Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Callum Smith

Dissertations

Process-Based Therapy (PBT) is a novel approach to clinical research and practice. PBT is proposed as an alternative model to classic diagnostic frameworks. It emphasizes conceptualizing psychological problems through adaptive and maladaptive processes of change. The aim of current PBT research is to develop reliable methods of organizing change processes into network models. In network models, change processes are presented in nodes connected by lines and arrows to represent the interacting relationships between those processes for a given individual. The present project aims to evaluate the inter-rater reliability and predictive validity of a novel semi-structured interview method to aid in …

A Qualitative Study Of Immigration Trauma, Posttraumatic Growth, And The College Experience Among Mena Immigrant Students, Braa A. Elkhidir

Dissertations

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant students who are seeking to earn a higher education in the United States have to navigate acculturative stressors and systemic barriers. Prior research has focused primarily on the challenges MENA immigrant students experience without deeply exploring how these students adapt and grow. The focus in this qualitative study was to understand how MENA immigrant college students experience and make meaning of their academic journeys. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the academic experiences of seven MENA immigrant college students in the United States and assess how acculturative stressors, personal strengths, coping strategies, and …

Love’S Dialects: Proposed Additions In Emotionally Focused Therapy For Intercultural Couples, Nicola Heurich

Dissertations

Intercultural romantic relationships have become an increasingly prominent feature of contemporary society due to globalization, migration, and cross-cultural exchange (Livingston & Brown, 2017). However, these partnerships are also associated with elevated levels of relational distress and higher rates of conflict, separation, and divorce, underscoring the need for culturally responsive approaches in couple therapy (Bustamante et al., 2011; Genç & Su, 2021).

Research on intercultural couples remains limited both within and beyond Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and despite increased recognition of cultural factors, there is still insufficient guidance on navigating differing cultural contexts within a dyad (Linhof & Allan, 2018).

The …

Understanding The Correlation Between Prediction Performance And Trust In Ai Through Scenario-Based Tasks, Likhitha Kammara

Theses and Dissertations

Trust in artificial intelligence is commonly assessed through self-reported scales or behavioral reliance, yet behavioral reliance is retrospective and can only be observed after a decision has already been made. This thesis examines whether prediction accuracy — a user's ability to predict what an AI system will recommend before its output is revealed — can serve as a prospective correlate of trust in the same empirical sense as behavioral reliance. The study was conducted in two phases using scenario-based AI decision tasks across disaster response, healthcare, and infrastructure restoration contexts, employing a between-group design in which participants either predicted AI …

An Evaluation Of Staff Training To Teach Implementation Of Functional Analysis Of Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior, Lauren Marie Lightner

Theses and Dissertations

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) along with other feeding disorders are prevalent in both neurotypical children along with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Children with feeding challenges often exhibit inappropriate mealtime behavior (IMB) to avoid consuming non-preferred foods. It is pertinent to determine the function of IMB in order to create an efficacious treatment; one such assessment is the functional analysis (Iwata et al. 1982/1994). Iwata et al. (2000) taught students how to implement a functional analysis of self-injurious behavior using behavioral skills training. Since the assessment’s development, it has been extended to various …

Perceived Professional Investment Differences And Learning Modality Preferences Between Generation X And Millennial Managers In Nonprofit Organizations, Raul Antonio Pereles Jr.

Education Doctoral

This study examines generational differences between Generation X and Millennial nonprofit managers in perceived employer investment in professional development and preferred learning delivery modality. Grounded in Knowles' (1980) theory of andragogy, the study addresses two research questions using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. A sample of 66 nonprofit managers (35 Generation X, 31 Millennial) from a major northeastern U.S. metropolitan area completed an online survey using the Professional Development Short Scale (PDSS; Mourão et al., 2014) and a ranked-preference measure of learning modality (in-person, hybrid, virtual). Results indicated no statistically significant difference between Generation X (M = 5.85, SD = …

Dnp Final Report: Improving Diabetes Self-Efficacy Through Nutrition Education: A Quality Improvement Project, Lakimberely S. Wooten

DNP Final Reports

Diabetes affects 12.7% of residents in Northeast Texas and is the 7th leading cause of death. Internal evidence indicates low health literacy and a heavy disease burden in the service area, underscoring the need for a standardized, low-cost, and feasible approach to nutrition education. This quality improvement project evaluated the feasibility of implementing an instructor-led nutrition education session. Guided by the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Framework and the ADKAR behavioral change model, adult participants with Type 2 diabetes received instruction on the Plate Method. Participants enrolled in a 4-week, instructor-led diabetes education class completed a 1-hour, nutrition education session using …

Nocturnal Insect Diversity Within Myakka Headwaters Preserve (And Its Implications For Local Bat Populations), Devin Brannon

Theses & ETDs

Insects and bats act as potential bioindicators for environmental health in a given area due to their sensitivity to ecological change, alterations, and placement within the food chain. This study works to establish a baseline framework for the assessing of habitat quality in Big Waters Land Trust Myakka Headwaters Preserve (MHP) within Manatee County, Florida. This was done through the combined use of passive acoustic bat monitoring alongside insect light-trapping. Insect sampling was conducted at 8 sites/habitat types across MHP between September and November 2025. The use of a modified UV light trap design resulted in the collection of a …