Digital Commons Network^™

Untapped Halal-Friendly Tourism Potential For Taiwan, Arina Khoirunnisa, Indrawati Indrawati, Yu-Fang Yen, Subhash Kizhakanveatil Bhaskaran Pillai

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Being the second largest belief, and fastest growing economy, many of the people from Muslim countries started travelling outside their countries due to increased economic prosperity and curiosity of exploring different cultures. The present study focuses on a non-Muslim country Taiwan, where the government is taking initiatives to attract the new segment of Muslim travellers. To support such initiatives, Halal-friendly-tourism is promoted in Taiwan. The pandemic period of 2019-2022 led to exploring different forms of tourism for reviving the ailing tourism sector, and cultural and heritage tourism is gaining prominence in this direction. Taiwan is trying to showcase its cultural …

Optimized Wireless Power Transmission For Low-Cost, Energy-Efficient Internet Of Things Devices In Residential Environments, Daniel Brook Hatch

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless power transmission (WPT) offers a promising solution for powering devices in locations where traditional electrical outlets are inaccessible, such as ceilings or outdoor environments. By utilizing electromagnetic waves, such as light, WPT enables power delivery without the need for physical connections. With line-of-sight (LoS) as its primary limitation, this technology offers significant flexibility and potential for a wide range of applications, making it a compelling focus for research and innovation. Despite the advancements in WPT technologies, their practical application for powering Internet of Things (IoT) devices in real-world scenarios remains underexplored. Many IoT devices are installed in locations where …

Longitudinal Relations Between Self-Esteem And Depression: A Continuous Time Analysis With Exploration Of Sleep Duration Effects, Mackenzie Cummings

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Adolescents and young adults face elevated risk for depression. While poor self-esteem and sleep disturbance are known risk factors, few studies have examined their unique and interactive contributions. Longitudinal research often overlooks unequal intervals and multiple sources of variance (e.g., between- and within-person). This study used continuous time structural equation modeling to address these gaps and examine relationships between self-esteem, sleep duration, and depression from adolescence into adulthood. Drawing on four waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 6,184), I tested whether sleep duration moderated the self-esteem–depression link and explored gender differences. …

Zeeman Effect Observations Of Water Masers In The Star Forming Region Ngc 7129 Firs2, Marina Bethann Beltran

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic fields likely play an important role in star formation, yet their influence remains poorly understood due to the observational challenges in measuring them. The only direct method for measuring magnetic fields is through the Zeeman effect, the splitting of spectral lines in the presence of a magnetic field. Water masers, which trace high-density shocked regions, are known to occur throughout some of the earliest stages of the star formation process. They provide an excellent opportunity to observe the Zeeman effect. However, Zeeman detections in H2O masers have so far been limited primarily to isolated, high-intensity maser lines with simple …

A Multilevel Analysis Of Arrest For Sexual Assault In The United States: The Effect Of Incident, Police Department, And Community Factors, Erin Elizabeth Hoffman

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Police officers play an important role for sexual assault survivors seeking help from the criminal legal system in the United States. One of their main responsibilities is to investigate the crime to determine if there is enough evidence to arrest a suspect. Previous literature has documented police arrest decisions in sexual assault cases are influenced by legal and extralegal factors—factors that are legally relevant (e.g., presence of DNA evidence) and irrelevant (e.g., victim race) in a case. These factors span multiple levels of analysis, namely the incident (e.g., whether a weapon was used) and police department (e.g., % of woman …

The Effect Of Reading Goals On Conspiracy Believability And Memorability, Leah Patricia O'Neill

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Previous research shows that individuals who are assigned different goals for reading remember and comprehend text differently, which might also influence how individuals read texts that contain conspiracy theories. This research has revealed a connection between scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) and conspiracy theory belief, such that those who score higher are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of reading goals (i.e., study vs entertainment) and different types of conspiracy theories (i.e., familiar and less familiar) on participant’s believability ratings for conspiracy texts. Participants were assigned a reading goal prior to …

To Study The Correlation Between Project Management Methodologies, Leadership Styles, And Team Engagement., Mouna Ittira Subbaiah

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

The software industry is expanding rapidly due to emerging technologies, innovative business strategies, and evolving customer demands. Software projects vary in complexity, requiring diverse approaches to ensure successful development from initiation to completion. This complexity has driven the adoption of continuous learning, lean principles, and agile methodologies. Modern methodologies prioritize flexibility, adaptability, productivity, inclusivity, and knowledge sharing. The choice of a particular method depends on organizational culture and project characteristics. The characteristics of the methodology will directly and indirectly influence team engagement. However, transitioning between methods can be challenging, involving significant costs and time investments. Recently, many organizations have shifted …

Integrated Metabolomics And Spatial Transcriptomics Of Cystic Pancreatic Cancer Precursors Reveals Dysregulated Polyamine Metabolism As A Biomarker Of Progression, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Yihui Chen, Rongzhang Dou, Ehsan Irajizad, Michele T Yip-Schneider, Ranran Wu, Rahmah Ejaz, Hamid K Rudsari, Yaxi Li, Rachelle Spencer, Riccardo Ballarò, Jody Vykoukal, Mark Hurd, Jennifer B Dennison, Kim-Anh Do, Anirban Maitra, Jianjun Zhang, Samir Hanash, C Max Schmidt, Johannes F Fahrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: We conducted metabolomics and spatial cell transcriptomics of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN), recognized pancreatic cancer precursors, to identify oncometabolites that inform upon risk of malignancy of IPMNs.

Experimental design: Untargeted metabolomic analyses were performed on cystic fluid from 125 patients with low-grade (LG) dysplasia or high-grade (HG) dysplasia with/without concurrent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC; IPMN/PDAC). Predictive performance of individual metabolites for identifying HG or PDAC/IPMN was determined and compared with CA19-9 performance. Data were intersected with metabolic profiles of resected IPMN tissues and murine Kras;Gnas IPMN cell lines as well as spatial and single-cell transcriptomics of IPMNs.

Results: …

Language Style Evaluation Validation For Implementation On Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Meghan A. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored various methods of evaluating language style for integration into prompts designed for a sophisticated augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. A total of 395 individuals without a language disorder were recruited via a crowdsourcing platform to complete five surveys. The initial four surveys were designed to assess individuals' language style using different approaches (questionnaire developed with ChatGPT, self-written, questionnaire developed by Hartman and McCambridge, and choosing tags). Following the completion of these four surveys, a fifth survey was dynamically created based on the responses in the previous four surveys. Each possible response in the fifth survey was …

Building Media Literacy In Adolescence: A Cognitive Behavioral Clinician's Manual To Combat Misinformation And Misdiagnosis During Sessions, Patricia Sacchetti

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper examines the role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in countering misinformation that youth encounter on social media and other informal sources, with the goal of creating a manual for mental health clinicians. The use of CBT by clinicians working with adolescents to combat the issue of misinformation and misdiagnosis has received little attention in the literature. Mental health clinicians’ knowledge of media literacy as a psychological construct can foster an effective treatment style by building upon the foundation of well-established theory and practice, such as CBT. CBT is a multifaceted treatment that can help guide mental health clinicians …

Peering Into The Past And Future: Connection, Challenge, Growth, And Rural Peer Mentors, Tinker Elizabeth Jacobs Duclo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peer mentoring is a recognized strategy for supporting student success, academic persistence, and belonging in higher education. However, while mentee benefits are well-documented, the long-term effects on peer mentors (PMs) remain underexplored, particularly at Rural-Serving Institutions (RSIs). My evaluation bridges that gap by examining the lasting impact of PM service through a qualitative evaluation of the Rifle Colorado Mountain College (CMC) Peer Mentor Program. Guided by Rural Cultural Wealth (RCW) theory and using the Most Significant Change (MSC) model within a constructivist framework, my evaluation centers alumni PM voices, gathering their reflections on the significant changes and impacts of their …

24-Month Patient-Reported Outcomes For A Novel Lumbar Total Joint Replacement, Ahilan Sivaganesan, Marissa Koscielski, Ashmal Sami, J. Alex Sielatycki, Jeffrey Goldstein, Brady Riesgraf, Craig Humphreys, Scott Hodges

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Lumbar fusion remains a prevalent treatment for degenerative conditions; however, its limitations have sparked interest in alternative motion-sparing procedures. Our study evaluates 24-month postoperative patient-reported outcomes from an OUS pilot clinical study on a novel lumbar total joint replacement (TJR) for degenerative conditions.

METHODS: Data was collected from 63 patients, of which 56 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Self-reported measures collected for this study are Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Minimal Symptom State (MSS), Minimal Clinical Important Difference (MCID), Substantial Clinical Benefit (SCB). This retrospective analysis of prospective, IRB-approved collected data reports 24 month patient-reported outcomes …

Overcoming Barriers To Connection Between People With Schizophrenia And Their Caregivers, Sarah G. Fernandez

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

The purpose of this doctoral project is to bring together existing literature on relational barriers between patients and caregivers, and strategies for overcoming them, for one reason: to help clinicians facilitate connection within families and households where one person has schizophrenia. It is therefore comprised of two parts: this paper containing a three-part literature review on barriers to connection including social skill deficits characteristic of the disease of schizophrenia, environmental factors, and caregiver burden and expressed emotion within families, as well as protective factors and strategies for overcoming them. The second component of this project is a psychoeducational module geared …

Comparative Effects Of Combustible Cigarette Versus Electronic Cigarette Exposures On Kras Mutant Lung Cancer Promotion, Walter V Velasco, Maria T Grimaldo, Nastaran Karimi, Michael J Clowers, Avantika Krishna, Ranran Wu, Rahmah Ejaz, Bo Yuan, Segundo Del Aguila, Iman Bouchelkia, Javier Eduardo Moreno Barragan, Katherine E Larsen, Yasmina Rezai, Farbod Khalaj, Kyler Mitra, Carlos Reyna Rodriguez, Ricardo Millares, Angelica Baca De Anda, Susana Castro-Pando, Umesh C Karandikar, Joseph F Petrosino, Florencia Mcallister, Humam Kadara, Edwin J Ostrin, Johannes F Fahrmann, Kristi Louise Hoffman, Seyed Javad Moghaddam

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Despite the emerging public health concern related to the use of electronic cigarette vapors (ECV), its impact on lung cancer is poorly understood. We assessed the effect of ECV on lung tumorigenesis in a mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. Mice were exposed to either room air, combustible cigarette smoke (CCS), or ECV 2 hours daily for 8 weeks at which lung samples were harvested and studied for different outcomes. We found that CCS, but not ECV, led to a significant increase in tumor burden. Immunophenotyping of both CCS- and ECV-exposed lungs displayed pronounced pro-tumor immunosuppressive phenotypes, characterized by significantly decreased …

Is She Being “Fast?”: Exploration Of African American Women’S Experience With Sexual Objectification, Alaigra V.R. Usher

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Issues of sexual objectification have been intertwined in America’s history since enslavement. This phenomenology study aimed to explore African American women’s lived experiences with sexual objectification and to understand the essential themes and conceptualizations that African American women attribute to sexual objectification. Through semi-structured interviews with a criterion sampling of African American women, the research sought to identify core themes surrounding sexual objectification experiences. In the results of this study, it was found that this population conceptualizes their sexual objectification experiences through seven themes: Earliest Sexual Objectification Experiences (SOE), SOE, Responses to SOE, Parental Protection, Reasons for SOE, SOE places, …

Rationality And Discomfort: Stance In "The End Of The Altaic Controversy" And "In Defense Of The Comparative Method, Or The End Of The Vovin Controversy", Logan Mcdowall

University Honors Theses

This study will use corpus linguistics techniques and Hyland's framework for stance in academic discourse to analyze authors' discoursal roles in different framings of a famous controversy in historical linguistics: the classification of the Altaic language family. Two significant pieces of discourse in this debate include "The End of the Altaic Controversy" by A. Vovin and "In Defense of the Comparative Method, or the End of the Vovin Controversy" by A. Dybo and G. Starostin. Despite the importance of these works, no one has analyzed how these authors use stance to position themselves within it. After performing a corpus word …

Investigating Hedgehog Signaling And Th17-Mediated Inflammation In Blau Syndrome: Insights Into Chronic Inflammation, Benjamin Volinski

University Honors Theses

Blau syndrome is a rare, monogenic inflammatory disorder caused by autosomal dominant mutations in NOD2, a cytosolic pattern recognition receptor that regulates immune signaling. Although traditionally considered an autoinflammatory disease driven by innate immune dysfunction, emerging evidence implicates T cells in Blau pathogenesis. Recent studies show that Nod2-deficient mice exhibit elevated IL-17A production despite normal TH17 differentiation, suggesting Nod2 regulates cytokine output independently of canonical lineage commitment. This study investigates how Nod2 mutations influence TH17-mediated inflammation and explores the role of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, particularly the transcription factor Gli2, in this process.

Using the Nod2^R314Q/R314Q mouse model, …

Fancy Mice, Damian Aguilar

University Honors Theses

In this proof-of-concept screenplay, a family becomes the subject of an isolating experiment that observes their behavior changes after remaining in their home for an extended period of time with all their basic needs met. The first twenty-pages of this psychological horror lays the foundation for a larger work that explores existential themes related to purpose, competition, and play.

How Did I Get Here? A Capstone Review, Michael Koach

University Honors Theses

In this thesis, I highlight my personal and professional growth as a college student. I use structured reflection and meta-analysis to uncover insights about how I learn and develop new skills. Over the past five years, I have built a toolbox of skills, including teamwork, public speaking, navigating uncertainty, strategic thinking, and leadership. I trace the development of each of these skills back to my coursework as a business student, my role in PSU's student-run advertising agency, and my professional experience. I show how these skills culminated in my business capstone project. My communication and leadership skills allowed me to …

Sensing Protein Structural Transitions With Microfluidic Modulation Infrared Spectroscopy, Lathan Lucas, Phoebe S Tsoi, Ananya Nair, Allan Chris M Ferreon, Josephine C Ferreon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Microfluidic modulation spectroscopy-infrared (MMS) offers a label-free, high-sensitivity approach for quantifying changes in protein secondary structures under native solution conditions. MMS subtracts the solvent backgrounds from sample signals by alternately flowing proteins and matched buffers through a microfluidic chamber, yielding clear amide I spectra from microliter volumes. In this study, we validated MMS on canonical globular proteins, bovine serum albumin, mCherry, and lysozyme, demonstrating accurate detection and resolution of α-helix, β-sheet, and mixed-fold structures. Applying MMS to the intrinsically disordered protein Tau, we detected environment-driven shifts in transient conformers: both the acidic (pH 2.5) and alkaline (pH 10) conditions increased …

Mass Timber: The Future Of Sustainable Architectural Design, Julian Nychay

University Honors Theses

The current state of Mass Timber structures is in an interesting state at the moment; Mass Timber adoption has become a recent trend that has been taking place very recently. This is due to a number of factors, mainly the technology for mass timber has grown substantially, as well as human consciousness of our negative impact on the environment has led to a deep rethinking about how we build. In this paper, I examine what exactly mass timber is, why it is being used and what are the future and current benefits and challenges facing mass timber in modern design …

Game-Based Learning As A Dynamic System: A Review Of The Literature, Meadow Mcgalliard

University Honors Theses

Game-based learning (GBL) in its development as a field has found itself at an ever-increasing complexity with regard to theories, design elements, and outcomes that define it. It's been long since proven that games produce learning and the ways in which this benefits educators and designers have broad applications, from direct game implementation to integrating GBL knowledge into non-game spaces. The density and complexity of design in GBL prove beneficial for learning opportunities, as the adaptability of design can create an almost infinite series of outcomes in a highly replicable manner. In this broad review, I attempt to display the …

Philosophy In Action: Ni Una Menos And Liberation Theory, Matthew D. Albertson

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of philosophy and social movements, Enrique Dussel's Liberation Philosophy and the Ni Una Menos movement. It argues that Ni Una Menos not only enacts a philosophy of liberation through its mobilization against gender-based violence in Latin America but also critically expands Liberation Philosophy by foregrounding intersectionality and gendered forms of exclusion--often underexamined in traditional liberation theory. Using Dussel's concepts--Exteriority, Praxis, Critique of the Totality, Ethics of Life, and Transmodernity--the study analyzes how Ni Una Menos elevates the lived experiences of marginalized women and gender-diverse individuals into the public and political sphere. Through strategies …

Garden Of Rust: Conversations With The "In-Between Space", Kristen M. Poore

University Honors Theses

Garden of Rust is a series of five oil paintings that explore the mental and emotional changes she calls the "In-Between Space," that occur in the artist’s mind as she undergoes a major life change. The artist uses traditional oil painting techniques on a variety of canvas sizes in order to record her emotions, which include anxiety, and grief. Her intent with this series is to highlight the "In-Between Space," and to start a conversation with others experiencing it. The artist finds that creating Garden of Rust has been beneficial for her own mental wellbeing to work on, because she …

Examining The Impact Of Legalized Sports Gambling On Ncaa Athletes' Welfare And Game Integrity, Reem Al Jaradi

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the effects of legalized sports gambling on NCAA player welfare and the integrity of competition through a mixed-method analysis of NCAA reports, academic literature, and media sources. Data disclose that although the overall prevalence of gambling among student-athletes has decreased, these individuals are demonstrating more detrimental behaviors, including solitary gaming and incurring substantial losses in a single day. The emphasis on internet abuse associated with betting results has escalated, especially during prominent tournaments. The NCAA's instructional programs and data-monitoring agreements are compromised by ethical issues surrounding data monetization and varying state gambling rules. The research contends that …

Document With Details Of Hughes Tool Company And The Independent Metal Workers Union Legal Battle

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Document titled "Amendment to contract of September 15, 1959, as amended and extended December 18, 1961, to eliminate discrimination because of race, creed, color of national origin".

Document Of Trial Of Independent Metal Workers Union And The Hughes Tool Company

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Document detailing trial of Independent Metal Workers Union and the Hughes Tool Company. The subject is stated as "The issues pertaining to the alleged violation of section 8 (b)(1)(A)".

Independent Metal Workers Union And Hughes Tool Company Case Documents

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Document of case involving the Hughes Tool Company and the Independent Metal Workers Union. The document states the interest involving both parties as "the alleged unfair labor practice" from Hughes Tool Company.

Document Regarding The Hughes Tool Company And The Independent Metal Workers Union

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Legal document regarding case numbers "23-CB-429" and "23-RC-1758" involving the Hughes Tool Company and the Independent Metal Workers Union.

Documents From Hughes Tool Company And Independent Metal Workers Union

Ivory Davis Civil Rights Case Papers

Details of the legal outcome of the Hughes Tool Company and the Independent Metal Workers Union case for discrimination.