Digital Commons Network^™

Resisting Neoliberalism: Testimonios Of Language Teachers As Social Activists, David Martinez-Prieto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This study examines the testimonios of Mexican language teachers who experienced the violent and institutional imposition of neoliberal policies at the main university at the state of Puebla. Through the analysis of testimonios, language teachers narrated their own trajectories to resist the implementation of the neoliberal policies, such as the restriction of teaching freedom for educators, the elimination of the right to free education for students, and the current subjugation educators experience at the site of study. Based on the Foucauldian concepts of sovereign and institutional power, along with governmentality, this article analyzes the activism of language teachers, and …

Decolonizing Educational Research: Pláticas As Sites Of Reciprocity, Vulnerability, And Reflexivity, Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of Learning Preferences For Parents Of Children With Sensory Over-Responsivity: A Mixed-Methods Study, Lisa M. Porter, Shelly J. Lane, Barbara B. Demchick, Jane K. Sweeney, Breanne Kearney

Translational Science in Occupation

Importance: Parent education is essential to pediatric occupational therapy (OT), yet there is a paucity of research regarding how to best support parents as adult learners.

Objective: To explore the learning experiences of parents of children with sensory over-responsivity (SOR).

Methods: An embedded mixed-methods design was used. Sixteen parents of children with SOR, aged 3–8 years, were recruited using purposive sampling. All parents participated in group trainings; of these, nine participated in one-on-one interviews. Quantitative data included pre-intervention parenting self-efficacy (PSE) scores and post-intervention learner satisfaction measures. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore parents’ learning experiences during …

Perceptions And Barriers Of Vestibular Rehabilitation Among Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Rebecca Callais

Translational Science in Occupation

Background: Vestibular dysfunction affects 15-20% of adults annually, often impacting daily activities and quality of life (Neuhauser, 2016). While occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants (OTs/OTAs) can address functional limitations caused by vestibular disorders, their role in vestibular rehabilitation (VR) is under-studied.

Objective: This study explored the competence and confidence of occupational therapy practitioners (OTP) in VR and identified barriers to implementation.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to 532 OTP in the Gulf South region, with 79 responses received. The survey included questions on VR training, techniques used, barriers of implementation in practice, and educational supports. Quantitative data were …

The Development Of A Rag-Based Artificial Intelligence Research Assistant (Aira), Hamid Vakilzadeh, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

2025 Fall Commencement, Georgia Southern University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Protect Transgender Kids: What Is “Protection” In Light Of Bans On Gender-Affirming Care?, Patricia B. Barnett

Journal of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity

This Note examines the growing legal and constitutional conflict surrounding state laws that ban or restrict gender-affirming care for transgender minors. At the heart of the issue lies the clash between state authority and the constitutionally protected rights of parents under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Drawing on medical consensus that affirms the necessity and efficacy of gender-affirming care, the Note argues that these laws not only endanger the well-being of transgender youth but also infringe on parents' fundamental rights to direct their children’s medical treatment. The analysis highlights how some states mischaracterize gender-affirming care as a …

Patriarch Kirill Of Moscow And All Russia: A True Patriarch Or A False One, A Senior Cleric Or A Senior Politician Of The Russian Federation? The Russian Patriarch And The War In Ukraine, Dilyan Nikolchev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper focuses on the behavior of the current Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill (Gundyaev) in the context of the Russia’s military aggression against sovereign Ukraine – a religious leader who fully supports the war policy of the Kremlin. The pro-war and pro-Putin views and messages of Patriarch Kirill proved him in the eyes of the Orthodox world more as a false Patriarch and a politician than as the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. To a large extent, the Russian political narratives and ideology of the “Russian Peace” and “Holy Rus” doctrine are a product of the senior leadership of …

The Judicial System Of Kazakh Beys In Central Asia: Shari'a And Customary Law, Dinmuhammad Smanov Kul, Alau Adilbayev, Rakhimov Abdukhalik, Yerzhan Kalmakhan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This study examines the judicial practices of Kazakh beys in 18th–19th century Central Asia, emphasizing their application of Islamic fiqh alongside traditional Kazakh customary law (adat). In a decentralized and nomadic society, beys acted as hybrid legal authorities, integrating Shari’a principles – such as ‘adl (justice), maslaha (public interest), and ijtihad (independent reasoning) with local customs to resolve disputes over property, family matters, and blood feuds. Through historical-legal analysis of oral traditions, archival documents, and ethnographic accounts, the research demonstrates how beys preserved Islamic legal norms while adapting them to practical realities, creating a dynamic model of legal …

Implementation Of The Novel Nurse Intuition Patient Deterioration Scale To Assess For A Correlation Among Nurse Intuition And Patients Returning To The Intensive Care Unit, Janie L. Walsh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction/Background: Adult hospitalized medical and surgical patients at an academic medical center are being transferred out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the step-down floor and having rapid response calls in less than 48 hours after the transfer. Nurse intuition is not a consideration in the decision to transfer a patient. Physiological variables such as Modified Early Warning Scores (MEWS) and vital signs are relied on heavily as indicators for escalation or de-escalation of care. There is evidence supporting the use of acknowledging nurse intuition to better predict a patient’s readiness for transitions of care.

Purpose: To evaluate the …

What Does It All Mean? Differences In Self-Defining Memories Between Community And Adjudicated Youth, Hannah Elias

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Identity development is driven in large part by self-defining memories, or memories though which we base our definition of who we are (Habermas & Bluck, 2000). In adolescence, cognitive skills are gained that allow us to make meaning, or learn lessons and gain insight, from self-defining memories (Bluck & Habermas, 2001; McLean & Thorne, 2003). To determine whether there are differences in their ability to make meaning from their self-defining memories, this study compares narratives of self-defining memories between community youth and adjudicated youth. Additionally, the ability to be specific in self-defining memory recollection may differ between these groups, which …

Searching For The "Tender Places": Shoddy, Knowledge, And Material Culture In The Civil War Era, Robert William Novak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the American Civil War era, shoddy was difficult to understand. It was simultaneously seen as evidence of advancing western civilization as well as a disgusting amalgamation of refuse and disease that threatened those who touched it. Made from shredding woolen rags and tailors’ clippings, the recycled woolen fibers could by applied in myriad woolen blends that came to dominate the ready-made clothing industry that developed through the first half of the nineteenth century. Its application could soften coarse blends and refine the appearance of cheap cloth. When the American Civil War erupted in 1861, however, shoddy came to define …

An Evidence-Based Practice Initiative To Improve Blood Pressure Control, Teresa D. Hines

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction/Background: High blood pressure (HBP) is a significant public health concern. It affects millions of adults in the United States (US) and half of the adult population in the Appalachia regions. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality Appalachia. Complications associated with high blood pressure result in substantial economic burdens for patients and their families, healthcare systems, and national economies. High blood pressure is a significant health issue in West Virginia (WV), with an estimated 602,000 people suffering from HBP.

Purpose: The purpose of this …

Investigating The Biology, Hypovirulence, And Pathogenicity Of Three Canker-Causing Phytopathogenic Fungi In The Cryphonectriaceae And Cytosporaceae On American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata) And Oaks (Quercus Spp.) In The Eastern U.S., Danielle N. Mikolajewski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and various oak species (Quercus spp.) are impacted by several economically important canker pathogens in the fungal order Diaporthales, namely Cryphonectria parasitica and Endothia gyrosa (Cryphonectriaceae). Cytospora canker caused by several closely related fungi in the fungal genera Cytospora and Valsa (Cytosporaceae) have also been implicated in causing canker diseases of Quercus and Castanea in Asia, Europe and North America. The impacts of C. parasitica on American chestnut have been exhaustively studied and it’s impacts on various oak hosts have also been broadly investigated and reported. Endothia gyrosa has …

Tobacco And Trouble: Exploring The Health Consequences Of Electronic Cigarette Use In Adolescents, Noor Ibrahim Abdulhay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death in the United States (U.S.). Although conventional cigarette use among youth has declined, the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has become highly prevalent and poses emerging public health concerns. Adolescence represents a critical developmental period for both oral and mental health, making it essential to understand the consequences of tobacco and nicotine exposure during this stage. The goal of this dissertation is to examine the health impacts of tobacco use in adolescents across multiple domains. Specifically, this research (1) synthesizes existing evidence on the relationship between …

Soccer Sheikhs: Qatar, Football, And The Quest For Self-Confidence And Global Prominence, Ali Ahsan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines Qatar’s strategic use of football as a mechanism for securing ontological security within the international system. Moving beyond standard International Relations explanations of state behavior, the study draws on ontological security theory which emphasizes the need of states to sustain a coherent sense of self through routines, narratives, and recognition. By framing football as such a practice, the dissertation advances the study of sport as a growing area of interest in the political sciences. Through a qualitative methodology employing Reflexive Thematic Analysis of expert interviews, the research analyzes Qatar’s football policies, including hosting the 2022 FIFA World …

Deep Target Recognition: Semi-Supervised Annotation, Sensor Fusion And Super-Resolution, Shoaib Meraj Sami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite the recent expansion of machine learning algorithms to cover a wide range of disciplines, several areas of automatic target recognition (ATR) remain underexplored. This dissertation presents tools developed to improve performance in three significant aspects of ATR: semi-supervised annotation, sensor fusion, and image super-resolution. The aim of the semi-supervised methods is to automatically annotate targets in scenarios where labeled data are scarce in the target domain but available in the source domain. Secondly, to address the limitations of individual image sensors and enhance robustness under different environmental conditions and man-made constraints, a sensor fusion algorithm was developed to improve …

Feasibility Testing Of A Web-Based Phq-9 Test For Student Depression, Israel Oluwagbenga Odugboye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Feasibility Testing of a Web-Based PHQ-9 Test for Student Depression

Israel Odugboye

Student depression stands as a critical public health issue because it affects numerous young adults who experience academic decline, disability, absenteeism, productivity reduction, and suicidal thoughts. The general population shows a 10% to 15% lifetime risk of developing depression which leads to a twentyfold elevation in suicide risk for depressed individuals [3]. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) serves as a popular tool for detecting depressive symptoms and determining severity levels among students from different cultural backgrounds. The assessment contains 27 possible scores which follow DSM depressive symptom criteria …

Browsing Within An Academic Library, Holt Zaugg, Jillian Bunderson

Faculty Publications

Purpose – Browsing library resources is a method long used by researchers to expand their understanding of ill-defined projects and to have serendipitous research discoveries. This study sought to understand the browsing activities of students in an academic library. Design/methodology/approach – The study used two methods. First, a link to an online survey was posted on posters throughout the library inviting students to share their browsing experience. Second, library security officers (student employees) were asked to count the number of people browsing within the stacks as they conducted their hourly walk-throughs of the library. Browsing was broadly defined as anyone …

The Information Content Of Private Information Acquisition: Evidence From Foia Requests To The Sec, Dichu Bao, Janja Brendel, Michael S. Drake, Lixin (Nancy) Su

Faculty Publications

We analyze Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), focusing on the value-relevance hypothesis and the directtrading hypothesis. Our empirical analysis reveals nuanced value relevance associated with different types of requests: Requests related to ongoing investigations and submitted by anonymous requesters are negatively correlated with future returns, while requests from investment firms and intellectual property firms predict positive future returns. Our findings also provide some support to the direct-trading hypothesis, showing that investment firms increase holdings of stocks for which they have filed FOIA requests, and short sellers exhibit heightened activity following requests …

Bcbs Dashboards, Bank For International Settlements: Basel Committee On Banking Supervision

Documents

No abstract provided.

Online Appendix To "What Policy Combinations Worked?: The Effect Of Policy Packages On Bank Lending During Covid-19", Divya Kirti, Maria Soledad Martinez Peria, Prachi Mishra, Jan Strasky

Documents

No abstract provided.

State Aid For Ing: The Facts And Figures, Ing Financial Services Llc

Documents

No abstract provided.

Selected Publications By William White, William White

Documents

No abstract provided.

The “Problem Of Motherhood”: Early Soviet Maternity Policy And Reality, 1917 - 1936, Danielle M. Hegarty

All Master's Theses

After the October Revolution of 1917, the new Bolshevik regime sought to reshape the lives of women to fit the new socialist future. In line with Marxist thought, they attempted to draw mothers out of the home and into the public sphere. Through legal reforms and social services, the Communist Party worked to relieve mothers of the double burden which tied women between work and the home. This research focuses on the various methods used by the Bolsheviks in their attempt to reform motherhood in the decade after the revolution. Most importantly, it helps to uncover the impact it had …

Igniting Change: Assessing Language Access Gaps For Spanish-Speaking Communities In Wildfire Preparedness Resources In Yakima County, Washington, Rebecca N. Mitre

All Master's Theses

Limited-English proficiency (LEP) individuals across the United States face barriers in accessing information and other resources relating to natural hazard resources, particularly in areas prone to wildfire. In the Pacific Northwest, wildfires are predicted to increase in frequency, severity, and intensity and may also increase the social and economic vulnerability of LEP communities. The 2023 wildfire season underscored how economic, public health, and social impacts disproportionately impact minorities and socially vulnerable communities. This research investigates the inclusion of LEP communities in the development and dissemination of local wildfire resources in Yakima County, using the disaster management cycle as an analytical …

Assessing Potential For Managed Aquifer Recharge On The Manastash Alluvial Fan: A Geochemical Analysis, Elif A. Myers

All Master's Theses

In south-central Washington, the Yakima River Basin spans 6,100 square miles, encompassing approximately 10% of the state. With a growing population and over 400,000 acres of irrigated cropland, reliable water availability is vital for supporting agricultural irrigation, municipal needs, and aquatic habitats. To ensure water for future use, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), the practice of applying surface water to aquifers for storage or hydrologic system benefit, has been proposed within the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (YBIP). This research explores the Manastash alluvial fan–located west of Ellensburg, Washington as a potential region for two MAR methods: Shallow Aquifer Recharge (SAR) and …

The Hidden Struggle: Peer Perceptions Of Imposter Phenomenon And The Impact Of Gender, Elizabeth C. Yanes

All Master's Theses

Imposter Phenomenon (IP) affects about 82% of people and can have detrimental effects on the mental health and achievement of sufferers (Bravata et al., 2020). Given the previous literature on IP and research on bias in interpersonal judgments based on gender, I explored how the expression of imposter feelings impacts interpersonal perceptions of competence and intelligence, and how gender moderates this relationship. Participants read one of four vignettes and indicated how competent and intelligent they viewed the individual in the vignette in which a high achieving man/woman college student does/does not express IP. Results of the 2 (Gender Pronouns: He/Him …

Fangs And Phantasms: Vampire Fiction's Role In Shaping Victorian Gender And Sexual Ideals, Michele White

All Master's Theses

This thesis examines how Christabel (1816), Carmilla (1872), and Dracula (1897), three quintessential texts in the vampire literary genre, speak to the Victorian proliferation of sexual and gender discourses. These texts use the metaphor of the vampire to contradict and sustain 19th-century regulatory dialogues encompassing sexuality, gender, and desire. By investigating these vampire narratives by means of theories of sexuality and gender enumerated in Michel Foucault's The History of Sexuality and Judith Butler's Gender Trouble, such as the ideas of “biopower” and “gender performativity,” I contend that these works do more than simply reproduce contemporary outlooks. Instead, these Gothic …

Focus Group Interview: Perspectives Of Virtual Dietary Counseling Methods Post Covid-19 Pandemic, Maria R. Mendoza

All Master's Theses

In response to the prevalence of morbidity and mortality, studies to avert these conditions in a cost-effective and accessible manner are also increasing. Developing new methods to provide nutrition education that are more accessible is critical to reaching individuals who may experience socioeconomic barriers impacting their ability to access healthcare. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions related to different delivery methods of dietary counseling. This qualitative research study will examine the perceptions related to different methods of dietary counseling (telephone calls, video calls, or face-to-face visits). Focus group one contained provider participants (N = 7), which …