Digital Commons Network^™

Pipe Dream: Rethinking Co2 Pipeline Subsidies, Julia Weiss, Taylor Stonerock

UC Law Environmental Journal

Generous government subsidies are driving major expansions of carbon dioxide pipeline infrastructure throughout the United States. The fossil fuel industry stakeholders who pushed for these subsidies argue that more pipelines would support the transportation of more captured carbon dioxide from power plants and ethanol processing facilities to permanent subsurface storage sites. While such pipeline expansions could potentially reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with certain fossil fuel energy activities, they would also create unjustifiable new environmental and health threats. Major investments in new carbon dioxide pipeline infrastructure likewise promote continued reliance on fossil fuels for decades to come and thereby …

Neuronal And Glial Cell Alterations Involved In The Retinal Degeneration Of The Familial Dysautonomia Optic Neuropathy, Anastasia Schultz, Henar Albertos-Arranz, Xavier Sánchez Sáez, Jamie Morgan, Diane Darland, Alejandra Gonzalez-Duarte, Horacio Kaufmann, Carlos E. Mendoza-Santiesteban, Nicolás Cuenca, Frances Lefcort

Biology Faculty Publications

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorder. In addition to the autonomic and peripheral sensory neuropathies that challenge patient survival, one of the most debilitating symptoms affecting patients' quality of life is progressive blindness resulting from the steady loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs).Within the FD community, there is a concerted effort to develop treatments to prevent the loss of RGCs. However, the mechanisms underlying the death of RGCs are not well understood. To study the mechanisms underlying RGC death, Pax6-cre;Elp1loxp/loxp male and female mice and postmortem retinal tissue from an FD patient were used to …

Point Of Care Ultrasound For Gastric Residual: An Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Brandon Quinn, Kaitlyn Gray

Doctoral Projects

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) has become an invaluable tool in modern medical practice offering real-time diagnostic and procedural guidance for anesthesia providers. POCUS is a non-invasive assessment tool that gives anesthesia insight into a quantitative assessment of gastric residuals. Furthermore, POCUS assessments are useful in preventing anesthetic complications that can cause major morbidity and mortality such as aspiration pneumonia. Despite the growing relevance, formalized training on POCUS for assessing gastric residuals remains limited in many nurse anesthesia programs. The University of Southern Mississippi currently lacks a standardized curriculum for teaching student registered nurse anesthetists how to utilize gastric ultrasound …

Twitchview(C) Monitor Use For Quantitative Neuromuscular Monitoring: An Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation, Brady Brian, Lovel Bruney

Doctoral Projects

Neuromuscular paralysis is an integral aspect of anesthesia. Muscle relaxation is implemented to provide a suitable surgical environment, aid in intubation, and enhance respiratory compliance (Cook & Simons, 2022). Neuromuscular monitoring is often used for patients undergoing general anesthesia. Proper neuromuscular monitoring is essential when managing a surgical patient undergoing general anesthesia. Anesthesia providers are responsible for knowing the theory behind neuromuscular monitoring and the appropriate execution of placement, monitoring, and interpretation of monitoring devices. Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring is a newer technology that can provide definitive numerical data regarding neuromuscular blockade. Implementing the quantitative neuromuscular monitor can potentially reduce the …

Reducing Congestive Heart Failure Readmissions Through Discharge Planning And Education, Coewonda Burse

Doctoral Projects

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a widespread problem among individuals, which, at the same time, consumes a considerable share of global healthcare demand. CHF management poses a persistent issue mainly due to the short interval of hospital readmissions four weeks after discharge, which indicates deficiencies in care transitions and patient education. This doctoral project addresses this topic and evaluates whether implementing patient-specific education and discharge planning programs can decrease CHF-associated hospital readmissions. To investigate the phenomenon, the DNP student completed a retrospective chart review, found an intervention, implemented said intervention, and then evaluated the intervention's effectiveness versus interventions already in …

Prescription For Change: Tackling Inappropriate Antibiotic Use In Urgent Care Settings, Lachundra Mosley

Doctoral Projects

A pressing global health issue that significantly contributes to antibiotic resistance is the inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for Upper Respiratory Infections (URI’s) in urgent care settings (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022). The purpose of this doctoral project was to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions for URI at an urgent care in D’Iberville, Mississippi through the implementation of an educational pamphlet.

A pre-post intervention project was conducted, collecting data on antibiotic prescribing practices via retrospective chart reviews before and after the educational intervention. Data was collected using a researcher developed screening tool based on Evidence based guidelines to distinguish viral vs bacterial infections. …

Evaluating The Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Discharge Checklist On 15-Day Hospital Re-Admissions For Heart Failure In A Va Setting, Joann Lathon

Doctoral Projects

This doctoral project presented the results and analysis aimed at reducing 15-day hospital re-admissions for veteran patients with congestive heart failure by implementing an evidence-based discharge checklist at the G.V. Sonny Montgomery VA Medical Center. Heart failure remains a leading cause of hospitalization and re-admissions among veterans, contributing to increased mortality rates. The doctoral project was guided by a research question addressing whether an evidence-based checklist could effectively reduce 15-day re-admissions compared to no checklist. A retrospective analysis of patients aged 50 and older hospitalized between August 5, 2024, and August 19, 2024, was conducted. The interdisciplinary team utilized the …

Everyone Brings Something To The Table: A Culturally Sustaining Analysis Of Teacher Candidates’ Mixed Reality Teaching Simulations, Erin Scott

Faculty Publications

Discussions of HBCU students’ content knowledge have centered around developing high impact, asset-based approaches to learning (Williams et al, 2022). So, HBCU teacher preparation providers (TPPs) can also focus efforts on culturally sustaining approaches to developing candidates’ content knowledge and researching how high impact practices, like teaching simulations, can help prepare candidates for classrooms. This exploratory case study uses critical cases (n=2); findings suggest candidates have a developing understanding of content, which forms a solid basis for increasing their knowledge. MRTSs are addressed as a potential high impact, culturally sustaining practice for building candidates’ content knowledge. Further, HBCU TPPs can …

Land Cover Effects On Stream Water Chemistry In The Upper Saline River Watershed, Brandy Everett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-point source (NPS) pollutants and the conversion of natural areas to anthropogenic uses are one of the most critical stressors on water quality. The Upper Saline River Watershed has seen an increase in anthropogenic land cover over the last two decades, leading it to be previously identified as a 319 NPS priority watershed in Arkansas. This study used publicly available data to assess the magnitude and trends of total nutrients (TN and TP) at both the watershed and site level scale. Results suggest a decrease of 2.6%/yr in TN concentrations and 1.5%/yr in TP concentrations at the watershed scale. While …

Determination Of The Internal Erosion Potential Of Bcsa Soil-Cement Using A Modified Hole Erosion Test System, Edgar Enrique Ortega De La Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Levees play a fundamental role in preserving human lives and resources and are the key infrastructure protecting against flood events. In the United States, the levee system is extensive, but unfortunately many of the levees were either not engineered or have well exceeded their intended design life. This was evident after the Midwest floods of 2019, which resulted in the failure of multiple levees leading to costly losses and repairs. In addition, flood levels remained high for days at a time, making it imperative to find fast and effective repair methods. This thesis presents a study conducted at the University …

Advanced Numerical Techniques For Multiscale Simulations In Biofluid Dynamics, Justin Tamico Jack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of anisometric particle suspensions and congenital heart defects (CHDs) involve exploring complex phenomena within the biological sciences. The former subject dives into the phase behavior of liquid crystals (LCs), particularly the influence of the shape anisotropy of rod-like nanoparticles on phase transitions, through the implementation of statistical techniques involving molecular dynamics (MD). Conversely, the latter topic focuses on the assessment and management of severe congenital arterial stenoses, such as those found in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WS), through advanced multi-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Both areas emphasize the importance of detailed analysis and the use of advanced numerical modeling …

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Performance Engineered Mixture (Pem) Design On The Workability And Strength Of Concrete Pavement Mixtures, Alexander Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) currently requires a minimum cement content of 564 pounds of cement per cubic yard of concrete. This minimum cement requirement can be reduced through the utilization of optimized gradation of aggregates within concrete mixtures as well as the addition of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash. The study presented in this paper aims to demonstrate how the use of the Tarantula Curve can be used to design concrete mixtures with reduced cement contents while maintaining sufficient workability for concrete mixtures to be used for slipform paving. Fresh workability was measured using the …

Influences Of Social Media On Nutrition Perceptions And Body Image Among Female College Students: A Study Of Health Impacts And Behavioral Responses, Kerri Mcclanahan

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media use is increasing among young adults with an average use of over four hours per day. The validity of dietary content on social media is questionable and can cause impacts on several factors. This research focused on exploring how female college students' social media use impacts their nutrition knowledge, diet choices, and body image. Through the use of a survey, 332 participants completed this research. It was found that social media can cause changes in body image, both positive and negative. Additionally, the results showed that social media impacted the participants’ dietary decisions. It was also found that …

“True Crime Effect”: The Influence Of True Crime Media On Jurors’ Perceptions Of Innocence In A Criminal Trial, Abigail Curran

Honors College Theses

In the mid-2000s, the popular TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its portrayal of forensic evidence was blamed for a so-called “CSI effect” - hypothesizing that jurors had greater expectations of the use of forensic evidence than was realistic. While CSI has fallen in popularity - ultimately ending its 15-year run on television in 2015 - stories of crime and criminality remain popular. The most recent iteration of this fascination can be seen in the rise in popularity of true crime documentaries and podcasts. This study aims to investigate the existence of a “true crime effect” in which all …

Neuroplasticity And Creativity: Transformative Potential Of Fibre Arts For Growth And Well-Being, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the transformative potential of fibre arts—such as quilting, weaving, and embroidery—as tools for personal growth, neuroplasticity, and well-being. Drawing on neuroscience and psychology, it demonstrates how engaging with fibre arts stimulates brain regions associated with problem-solving, sensory integration, and adaptability, fostering neural growth and enhancing cognitive flexibility. Fibre arts, through their inherent challenges and opportunities for play, provide a perfect medium for stepping beyond familiar boundaries, cultivating resilience, and reducing stress. This interplay of creativity and tactile engagement is particularly effective due to the historical undervaluation of fibre arts, which makes them novel and accessible mediums that …

Beyond Pathology: Inclusive Mentorship, Accommodations, And Policy Reforms For Autistic Women In The Medical Profession, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article addresses the unique challenges faced by autistic women in the medical profession, particularly in navigating traditional medical frameworks that often marginalize neurodiverse individuals. Drawing from a targeted literature review, this paper highlights the importance of adapting medical curricula, establishing mentorship programs, and reforming policies to foster inclusivity. Autistic women in medicine encounter barriers such as a lack of mentorship tailored to their needs, inadequate accommodations, and systemic bias rooted in the pathologization of autism. The article synthesizes current research to provide evidence-based recommendations that address these barriers. Specific examples of successful mentorship programs demonstrate the critical role of …

Effects Of Implementing Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education For English Language Learners: A Mixed Research Case Study, Gabriel Traina

Education Masters

English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States face unique socio-cultural and linguistic challenges such as new cultural expectations and overcoming language barriers. Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-S Education) has been advocated as an effective framework for closing the achievement gap for marginalized groups. This mixed-methods case study examines the implementation of CR-S Education by employing teacher surveys, student surveys, and classroom observations in two first-grade ENL classrooms with diverse learners.

The study seeks to answer the question: How can educators implement culturally responsive- sustaining teaching to maximize learning outcomes in classrooms with both ELLs and native

English speakers? The findings …

Understanding Ai Literacy: Implications For Practice, Sara Westall, Janet Anderson, Devon Olson

Librarian Publications

A presentation developed for the fall 2024 University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Medical Curriculum Advance, exploring the connections between information literacy, artificial intelligence literacy, and algorithmic literacy and their relevance to health education from the perspective of research and instruction librarians.

The Mongolian Remodeling And The Structure Of Anoplocephalid Cestode Diversity, Mackenzie Grover

All NMU Master's Theses

Ecological disruption plays an important role in structuring diversity of flora, fauna, and their parasites. At the end of the Eocene, climatic change across Asia resulted in a faunal turnover (the Mongolian Remodeling) as rodents diversified and larger mammals declined. Throughout the Oligocene, the landscape in Asia was characterized by episodic climatic and landscape changes resulting in pulses of rodent diversification. The role of historical ecological disruption in Central Asia in structuring the diversity of parasites of small rodents has not been thoroughly investigated. The hyper-diverse Paranoplocephala species complex (family: Anoplocephalidae) infect rodents throughout the Holarctic and present an opportunity …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Live Oak High School, Savannah L. Burnett

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report documents the implementation and outcomes of a comprehensive agricultural education program at Live Oak High School, aligning with California Career Technical Education (CTE) standards. The project focuses on enhancing student engagement through curriculum development, leadership activities, Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs), and career readiness initiatives. Key components include expanding pathway offerings in horticulture, mechanics, and agricultural sciences, integrating field experiences, and hosting guest speakers to connect students with industry professionals.

Adverse Elements: How Requiring An Adverse Employment Action Element In Ada Failure-To-Accommodate Claims Hinders Disability Rights, Ava Jadwiga Wallace

Washington Law Review

Individuals with disabilities are continuously marginalized by a world tailored to the able-bodied. One of the most visible areas where this marginalization manifests is employment. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) attempts to combat this with its extensive legislation to resolve and mitigate disability discrimination in employment contexts. In this attempt, the ADA mandates that employers provide disabled employees with reasonable accommodations—employment modifications necessary for many disabled employees to perform their jobs and feel included in the workplace. Jurisprudence reflects a series of decisions where courts read the ADA narrowly, strictly, and from an able-bodied perspective, resulting in …

Binary Orbit And Disks Properties Of The Rw Aur System Using Alma Observations, N. T. Kurtovic, S. Facchini, M. Benisty, P. Penilla, Eric L.N. Jensen, C. Dougados, R. Booth, C. N. Kimmig, C. F. Manara, J. E. Rodriguez

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

Context. The dynamical interactions between young binaries can perturb the material distribution of their circumstellar disks, and modify the planet formation process. In order to understand how planets form in multiple stellar systems, it is necessary to characterize both their binary orbit and their disks properties. Aims. In order to constrain the impact and nature of the binary interaction in the RW Aur system (bound or unbound), we analyzed the circumstellar material at 1.3 mm wavelengths, as observed at multiple epochs by the Atacama Large (sub-)millimeter Array (ALMA). Methods. We analyzed the disk properties through parametric visibility …

Know Your Birth: Improving Knowledge And Confidence Through Education On Childbirth In Rural Kenya, Stephanie Cortez, Jasmine Ochoa, Manvi Pal, Carol Xiong

ELMSN E-Portfolio. A collection of Scholarly and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Estimating Medium-Term Regional Monthly Economic Activity Reductions During The Covid-19 Pandemic Using Nighttime Light Data, Ma Flordeliza P. Del Castillo, Toshio Fujimi, Hirokazu Tatano

SOSE Affiliate: Manila Observatory

Economic impact estimates of the initial lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic showed a significant reduction in economic activities globally. However, the succeeding impacts and their spatiotemporal distribution within countries remain unknown. Studies showed that nighttime light data (NTL) has effectively revealed the spatiotemporal dimensions of the economic effects of COVID-19. Thus, this study used NTL data to determine the medium-term regional monthly economic impacts of the pandemic in the Philippines in terms of the Economic Activity Reduction (EAR) index. We generated a spatial error model, regressing pre-pandemic NTL on mean temperature, maximum rainfall, and built-up area. This model explained …

Social Context And Interlanguage Variability, Brian Kapustka

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This project explores how interlanguage development is influenced by the social contexts in which language learners interact. Drawing upon foundational theories, such as Selinker’s interlanguage theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, it analyzes how learners adapt their language use based on formal and informal communicative settings. The study emphasizes that interlanguage variability is not an error but an adaptive strategy shaped by social mediation and contextual influences. The project synthesizes empirical research from scholars such as Ortega, Amirjalili et al., and Saric to investigate how factors like feedback, input processing, and crosslinguistic influences shape language outcomes. It also highlights the pedagogical …

Knowledge And Attitudes Regarding Pubertal Changes Among Adolescent Males In Karachi: A Study Protocol, Sabah Muhammad Nazim, Saleema A. Gulzar, Hussain Maqbool Ahmed Khuwaja, Zohra Lassi

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Background: Adolescence (the period between childhood and adulthood) is characterized by significant changes in bodily functions, along with psychological and cognitive growth, which lays the foundation for future health. The unanticipated changes in that phase (especially related to sexuality) can cause adolescents embarrassment and distress, thus impacting their well-being and development. Despite the critical role of puberty in adolescents’ physical, psychological, and social development, research focusing on the knowledge and experiences of male adolescents going through puberty is limited, especially in urban Karachi, Pakistan. Several Pakistani studies have mainly focused on female adolescents and their experiences with puberty, leaving a …

Carbon Dioxide Fluxes And The Dominant Role Of Vegetation In Recently Created And Reference Gulf Coast Marshes, A. Muench, T. Elsey-Quirk, J. R. White, R. D. Delaune

Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth with the capacity to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Wetland loss due to anthropogenic and natural causes reduces the carbon (C) storage capacity and potentially releases previously fixed C in biomass and soil to the water column and atmosphere through decomposition. Coastal wetland restoration has the potential to mitigate some of the C losses depending on the balance of C fluxes. However, the role of vegetation and environmental conditions in governing rates of C accumulation in restoration sites is not well resolved. The purpose of this study …

Net Evaporation-Induced Mangrove Area Loss Across Low-Lying Caribbean Islands, Isamar M. Cortés, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba, Andre S. Rovai, Robert R. Twilley, Mark Chopping, Temilola Fatoyinbo

Faculty Publications

Although mangroves provide many beneficial ecosystem services, such as blue carbon storage and coastal protection, they are currently under threat due to changes in climate conditions, such as prolonged drought exposure. Under drought conditions, evaporation exceeds precipitation and high soil salinities can lead to stunted growth and die-back. To quantify this interplay, we developed a database for low-lying and uninhabited mangrove islands in the Caribbean under various evaporation and precipitation regimes. We extracted physical and biological information from each island using remote sensing techniques and coupled it with a process-based model. We used this database to develop a model that …

A Temperature Tipping Point In Hypoxic Zone Size, R. Eugene Turner, Nancy N. Rabalais, Cassandra N. Glaspie

Faculty Publications

Temperature increases will have ubiquitous effects on aquatic food webs, from microbes to consumers, and affect the quality and quantity of carbon flows within and between water layers. A decline in the biological pump moving carbon from surface to lower layers is anticipated. We reviewed 37 years of data on hypoxic zone size and water quality in the northern Gulf of Mexico to determine if air and bottom water temperature increases (0.5°C decade⁻¹) are significantly related to variations in its areal size. There was no significant decline in important river water quality in the 24 years since the …

Detecting, Attributing, And Projecting Global Marine Ecosystem And Fisheries Change: Fishmip 2.0, Julia L. Blanchard, Camilla Novaglio, Olivier Maury, Cheryl S. Harrison, Colleen M. Petrik, Denisse Fierro-Arcos, Kelly Ortega-Cisneros, Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz, Tyler D. Eddy, Ryan Heneghan, Kelsey Roberts, Jacob Schewe, Daniele Bianchi, Jerome Guiet, P. Daniel Van Denderen, Juliano Palacios-Abrantes, Xiao Liu, Charles A. Stock, Yannick Rousseau, Matthias Büchner, Ezekiel O. Adekoya, Cathy Bulman, William Cheung, Villy Christensen, Marta Coll, Leonardo Capitani, Samik Datta, Elizabeth A. Fulton, Alba Fuster, Victoria Garza, Matthieu Lengaigne, Max Lindmark, Kieran Murphy

Faculty Publications

There is an urgent need for models that can robustly detect past and project future ecosystem changes and risks to the services that they provide to people. The Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project (FishMIP) was established to develop model ensembles for projecting long-term impacts of climate change on fisheries and marine ecosystems while informing policy at spatio-temporal scales relevant to the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP) framework. While contributing FishMIP models have improved over time, large uncertainties in projections remain, particularly in coastal and shelf seas where most of the world's fisheries occur. Furthermore, previous FishMIP climate …