Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating Factors That Affect Total Ige Antibody Levels Of A Canine Population In Louisville, Ky, Iris N. Gillespie

Undergraduate Theses

Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is a genetically predisposed condition that causes inflammatory and pruritic (itchy) skin reactions in response to environmental and food allergens. The main purpose of this study is to determine if there is a correlation between pollen counts and total canine IgE antibody levels of dogs living in Louisville, KY. Additionally, data is analyzed to look for trends documented in previous studies related to the impacts of sex, age, and allergic symptoms on total IgE count. In collaboration with the Downtown Animal Hospital, blood samples were drawn from 16 dogs at one point in February (when pollen …

Health-Related Quality Of Life In The Era Of Immune Checkpoint Blockade: What Do Patient-Reported Outcomes Reveal?, Alexandra M Dunker, Neha Malik, Kathryn J Krause, Emily Z Keung, Jason B Liu, Elise F Nassif Haddad, Neeta Somaiah, Heather G Lyu, Christina L Roland

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment by providing durable survival gains, but understanding their effects on patient health-related quality of life (HRQL) is critical.

Methods: We performed a narrative review of cross-sectional surveys, early-phase trials, and large-scale phase II and III randomized controlled clinical trials assessing FDA-approved ICIs, including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors, with emphasis on patient-reported HRQL. Validated HRQL instruments were summarized, and for pivotal trials, the positioning of HRQL outcomes as primary, secondary, or exploratory endpoints was taken …

The Safety Kuznets Curve: Context In Occupational Safety, Andy Knickerbocker

ASEM Capstones

2025 ASEM 620 Capstone Project

The Formation And Dynamics Of Colonial “Lived Spaces” : Urban Space And Society In Colonial Hanoi, 1883–1916, Nam Khanh Hoang '25

Student Research

This study examines the nuanced experiences and perceptions of urban space among different social groups in colonial Hanoi in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by analyzing the French colonial agendas, as reflected through modern urban planning and practices, and its reception among the colonial urban inhabitants, as suggested through their responses to the Statue of Liberty—a colonial urban monument. While existing scholarship has often framed colonial cities as stages for consolidating imperial power, introducing Western ideals of modernity, and forming systems of oppression and exploitation against colonial subjects, it has often overlooked the perceptions and experiences of colonial …

Gambling Behaviors, Perceptions, And Risks Among Nevada Adults, Andrea Dassopoulos

International Gaming Institute Faculty Research

This study presents a statewide assessment of gambling behaviors, perceptions, and gambling-related risk among 1,078 Nevada adults. Using a mixed-source, population-calibrated survey developed by UNLV and NORC, the research measures gambling participation, motivations, venue exposure, and attitudes toward harm, treatment, and regulation. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) identifies substantial levels of harm: nearly half of past-year gamblers show some degree of risk, with the highest rates among younger adults, racially diverse groups, gaming and hospitality workers, and those who gamble in neighborhood bars or slot parlors. The survey also documents public beliefs about gambling addiction, youth exposure, stigma, and …

Automating Adjustable Storm Evacuation Sites For Local Governments, Bailee Kinghorn, Emma Milne, Camille Heaton

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Using ArcGIS Pro and ArcPy 3.4, we built a tool that scrapes the National Hurricane Center and NOAA GIS databases for current shapefiles, Users choose relevant hurricane track, storm sure, or high-wind layers, specify units and distance, and generate customizable evacuation buffers around selected features, which are automatically added to their map for analysis.

Biodiversity Performance Of Living Wall Systems In Urban Environments: A Uk Case Study Of Plant Selection And Substrate Effects On Multi-Taxa Communities, Paul Henry Lunt, James Buckley, Suzanne Mitchell, Gabriel Thomas, Elek Churella, Thomas Richard Murphy

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Urban densification threatens biodiversity, yet conventional greenspace expansion is constrained by limited land availability. Living wall systems (LWS) offer potential biodiversity enhancement through vertical green infrastructure, though their ecological value remains underexplored. This study evaluated the biodiversity performance of three LWS in Plymouth, UK, using multi-taxa surveys to assess invertebrate communities, bird assemblages, and bat activity. A scoping review of 2638 publications revealed limited research on LWS biodiversity, with only 27% of biodiversity-focused papers referencing specific species. Field surveys employed standardised protocols including flower-visiting pollinator observations, spider assessments, soil invertebrate extraction using Tullgren funnels, acoustic bird monitoring, and bat emergence …

'The Rest Is Silence': Reframing Stasis As Integral To Creative Practice, Corinna Di Niro, Pablo Muslera

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

This duoethnographic study examines the relationship between motion and stasis in creative practice through the lens of two creative educators working in postgraduate and undergraduate Creative Industries. Drawing on our combined experiences as practitioners and educators at SAE University College, we explore how creative blockages can be reframed as productive rather than problematic, challenging dominant productivity paradigms in contemporary creative industries and education. Through structured dialogic exchange, we investigate three interconnected themes: the rhythmic nature of creative practice, the pedagogical value of embracing productive stasis, and the tension between institutional timelines and creative development. We consider how encouraging SAE creative …

December 2025 General Education Council Minutes, University Of Nebraska At Kearney General Education Council

General Education Council

No abstract provided.

Improving Food Security: Determining Risk Zones For Toxic Crop Contamination, Parker J. Peterson, Cade Smith, Kirsten Sanders, Ruth Kerry, Sean Young

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Aflatoxin contamination causes significant food waste and poses liver cancer risks to humans and livestock consuming infected corn. This study identifies high-risk years and locations in Texas by analyzing relationships between drought conditions, remote sensing data (NDVI and Thermal IR), and insurance claims for spoiled crops, enabling targeted interventions to reduce contamination and waste.

Finding Black Joy: Understanding How Black Students Are Seen, Affirmed, And Nourished In Expanded Learning Opportunities., Jamila Mosley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black students experience Black joy within expanded learning opportunity (ELO) programs and how those programs are structured to nurture that joy. It is guided by the central research question: How do Black students describe the ways in which an expanded learning opportunity program fosters their joy through experiences of being seen, affirmed, and nourished? Using an instrumental case study design at two secondary schools, the study draws on semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations of students participating in robotics, debate, Sister Circle, cheer, basketball, and creative writing. Data were analyzed through multiple cycles of coding, first …

Headwater Drainage Evolution In A Foreland Basin System Usingsurfaces And Topographic Metrics (Zadorra River, Upper Ebro,Spain), Ivan Martin-Martin, Pablo G. Silva, Martin Stokes, Antonio Tarriño, Benito Abalos, Fernando Sarrionandia

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Foreland basins are elongate depressions that develop around the flanks of collisional mountain ranges. Rivers are key agents that shape their landscape geomorphology and evolution. Their upstream headwater areas are geomorphologically dynamic locations prone to drainage network reorganisations via headward erosion by the foreland axial river. They are complex areas to investigate due to geological complexity, the absence of fluvial deposits and long timescales over which drainage evolution occurs. In this study, we examined the Zadorra River, a headwater tributary to the Ebro River that preserves a diverse number of different geomorphological features that record long-term drainage evolution. Four key …

Wmu Board Of Trustee Board Meeting, Thursday December 4, 2025, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda
• Approval of the Minutes (October 30, 2025)
• Remarks by the Chair of the Board
• Remarks by the President
• Updates by the Faculty Senate President
• Updates by the Western Student Association President
• Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
• Presentation: The Voice of Bronco Success
• Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

Student Housing and Meal Rates 2026/27

Consent Items

Curriculum Proposals

Personnel Report

• General Public Comments

A Methodology To Reconstruct The Extent And Dynamics Of Historic Wildfires (1850-1950) In The Santa Cruz Mountains Of California, David Vásquez Ospina

Master's Theses

This thesis reconstructs the extent and dynamics of historic wildfires in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California between 1850 and 1950 using qualitative archival evidence from historical newspapers, maps, and related documents. A systematically coded database of 225 reports, consolidated into 155 unique wildfire events, was developed to analyze temporal and spatial patterns, ignition sources, vegetation types, suppression strategies, and impacts on communities and infrastructure. Historical rainfall records from the Boulder Creek station were integrated using water-year totals, three-year rolling averages, and standardized precipitation indices to examine how multi-year dryness relates to fire occurrence and size. Linear regressions show only …

The Divided Self: Gothic Duality In Literature, Sarah Anna Meeks

Masters Theses

Gothic literature of the nineteenth century is haunting due to its frequent use of ghosts and monsters. However, the true terror lies in a deeper horror, one that is more intimate and destabilizing– a fright that leaps out of the text, looking into the heart of the reader: the fractured mind of the self torn between reality and repression, haunted by its own, newly manifested internal disunity rather than external monsters. The characters of Gothic fiction are typically caught in a psychological turmoil. They battle with split morals between duty and desire, morality and madness, and science and spirituality. Specifically, …

Blue Ring Presence In Utah's High Country, Eliza Hammari, Bode Baker, Summer Branham, Ethan Harris, Joe Brown, Natalee Cannon

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Blue rings are incompletely lignified tree rings resulting from cold environmental stress in the late growing season. We identified blue rings in samples from the Uinta and Wasatch Mountains, matching previous samples in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. These blue rings are helpful in building comprehension of past climatic data.

Place: Dwelling Within The Built And Natural Environments, Christine Gratia

Publications and Research

This study argues that “place” is not simply physical, it is actualized by the relationship between human beings and the environments they inhabit. This research will spotlight various philosophical theories that pertain to where humans do human activities, the ever evolving containers of socialization and how the external environment informs self-concept. This research narrows in on Edward Relph’s phenomenology of “place” and Martin Heidegger's concept of dwelling. Both concepts are defined as foundational structures of human existence which create an interdependent relationship between humans and the places we inhabit. From that relationship stems a responsibility of caretaking. Through a conceptual …

Examining Social Determinants Of Health And The Impact On Hiv Outcomes In Black People In The United States, Triscia G. Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Black people are disproportionately affected by HIV as evidenced by poor clinical outcomes and mortality. Clinical outcomes may be potentiated by patient factors, compounded by social determinants of health. This cross-sectional study sought to examine the impact of social determinants of health on AIDS mortality in the United States. Deidentified HIV data from the CDC NCHHSTP Atlas Plus repository and CDC WONDER population data were utilized to examine the association of race, sex, transmission category and geography on AIDS mortality in 43 states during 2018 to 2022. AIDS mortality was further examined through the lens of HIV stigma and housing …

From Protest To Harmony: The Global Language Of Change, Valerie Brooke Missick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative historical study investigates how music functions as a unifying force within global social and political movements, transcending cultural, linguistic, and national boundaries to foster collective identity and sustain long-term activism. Drawing on Social Identity Theory, Cultural Diffusion Theory, and Framing Theory, the research analyzes archival documents, historical records, media sources, and case studies from movements such as the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, anti-apartheid struggles, Black Lives Matter, the Arab Spring, and contemporary climate justice activism. Findings reveal that music operates as both an emotional catalyst and a strategic communication tool, shaping narratives, strengthening solidarity, …

Segregation Reorganized: White Isolation Dynamics In An Evolving Urban School Choice District, Maggie Wood

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

School choice policies are often promoted as more equitable alternatives to neighborhood-based school assignments in districts where residential segregation has long produced unequal access to educational opportunity. Although research links these policies to increased segregation, less is known about how their effects evolve as choice systems become more institutionalized and accessible. Have reforms aimed at improving participation made school choice more equitable over time by reducing White isolation? Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics and NHGIS census, this study examines racial isolation in Denver Public Schools (DPS) from 1995 to 2019—a district that transformed its choice system …

Criminalizing Difference: An Intersectional Analysis Of Disability In The Criminal Justice System, Rowan Eisleman

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This research addresses the central question: How do individuals with disabilities intersect with the criminal justice system, and what systemic factors contribute to their overrepresentation and victimization? Despite over 61 million Americans having disabilities, there exists a significant gap in comprehensive scholarship examining disability-criminal justice intersections, particularly regarding how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience unique vulnerabilities as both offenders and victims. This study contributes to disability studies and criminology by providing a comprehensive intersectional analysis examining how disability compounds with race and gender to create compounded marginalization. This study conducted a comprehensive literature review, analyzing government statistics from …

Planning For Power: The Role Of Architecture & Urban Form In Local Energy Generation In Dense Built-Up Areas, Chris Shing Wai Leung

Theses

This thesis explores how the urban form/building design, and a well-thought-out City Master Plan can significantly affect wind patterns and enhance on-site energy generation in dense urban areas. It will examine strategies such as modifying building heights, adjusting separations between structures, shaping urban landforms, and varying the roughness of the urban fabric to optimize wind energy generation. Additionally, the research will focus on the strategic placement of community power harvesting devices. The study of the urban forms and fabric with the impact of wind patterns is simulated by fluid mechanics with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The goal of this …

The Error Of Replacement Theology, Its Significance For Christians Today, And Its Theological Implications For Participants In The Vintage Truth Bible Study, Jeffery Bruce Kinley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The nation of Israel regularly makes geopolitical and cultural headlines, and antisemitism continues to increase on a global scale. This carries profound theological and practical implications regarding Israel’s relationship and relevance to the Church. This DMin action research project was designed and implemented to evaluate the impact of replacement theology on approximately thirty participants in the Vintage Truth Bible Study. Through a sustained, eight-week study examining the tenets of replacement theology, along with Scripture’s teaching on God’s relationship with and covenants to Israel, and prophecies regarding that nation’s future, the doctrine was addressed. The research combined thorough biblical exposition, three …

Equity-Aware Natural Hazards Resilience Assessment And Improvement Of Road Networks, Naqib Mashrur

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of hurricanes, the resulting flood events pose escalating threats to transportation infrastructure and community well-being. This dissertation addresses the intersection of flood resilience, network connectivity, and social equity by integrating principles from network analysis, equity planning, and disaster resilience. The research begins by examining the social dimensions of accessibility loss during hurricane-induced flooding. Spatial and demographic analysis reveals that Native American and Hispanic populations in the case study region experience the most significant reductions in access to essential service facilities, highlighting inequities in systems.

Investigating a region southern Louisiana road network demonstrates …

There Is No Finish Line: The Intersection Of Sport And Race In St. Louis During The Civil Rights Era, Brandon Winfred Black

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project focuses on the intersection of sport and race in St. Louis during the 1950s and 1960s, revealing how Black athletes became both symbols of progress and targets of resistance, illustrating the broader Civil Rights Movement’s parallel fight for visibility and systemic change. St. Louis was a city of contrasts. Its location and culture made it a focal point for the racial struggles that defined the Civil Rights Movement, often symbolizing both the persistence of inequality and the potential for change. Black athletes not only challenged racial barriers on the field but also catalyzed social change off it, revealing …

Exploring The Influence Of A Faith-Based Ngo On The Causal Agency Of Children With Disabilities Living In Informal Settlements Outside Nairobi: A Case Study, Amy M. Silvas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore the influence of a faith-based non-governmental organization’s (NGO’s) special needs supports on the causal agency of children with disabilities living in an urban settlement outside Nairobi, Kenya. The theory guiding this study was Shogren et al.’s causal agency theory as it looks at the fundamentals of self-determination in interaction with the demands and support available within a specific context. The central research question was: How does interaction with a faith-based NGO’s special education supports influence the ability of children with disabilities and living in an urban informal settlement to be active …

2017 Rocky Mountain National Park Research Conference, United States Department Of Interior

Rocky Mountain National Park

The work highlighted by this conference addresses key issues, including climate change, the spread of exotic plants, large scale restoration needs, environmental contaminants and disease, a need for greater relevancy to youth, and inadequate capacity to keep pace with growing visitation. The NPS Director's Order "Resource Stewardship for the 21st Century" directs park managers to steward resources for continuous change that is not yet fully understood. This challenge makes research, learning, and engagement at local to global scales more important than ever. The magnitude of issues and opportunities currently facing park managers is reflected in the breadth and depth of …

Rapid Ascent: Rocky Mountain National Park In The Great Acceleration: 1945-Present, Max Boxwell

Rocky Mountain National Park

A Master's Thesis asserting that wat-time technologies cheap fossil fuels, and a culture of techno-optimism—epitomized by the Mission 66 development program—helped foster a “Great Acceleration” of human alterations of Earth’s natural systems.

Abbey, Edward; Beau, Lucas; Braudel, Fernand; Carhart, Arthur; Collins, Kay; Condon, David; Contor, Robert; Crutzen, Paul; Fry, John; Guse, Neal; Hirt, Paul; Hughes, George; Keizer, Garret; Knous, Robert; Love, John Arthur; Menning, Edgar; Mills, Enos; Mooney, David; Noland, Jerry; Olson, Sigurd; Philpott, William; Redman, Mayme; Stoemer, Eugene; Sutter, Paul; Wirth, Conrad; Zalasiewicz, Jan; Leopold, Aldo; Rocky Mountain National Park; Rocky Mountains; Great Acceleration; Anthropocene; Spindletop; Tennessee Valley Authority; …

Redefining Frontier Womanhood: Irish Female Landownership In Mexican Texas, Kelly Mcmichael

Journal of Texas History

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Editorial Team

Journal of Texas History

No abstract provided.