Digital Commons Network^™

Implementation Of A Nurse-Driven Early Mobility Algorithm In Critically Ill Adults, Andrea Saito

Doctoral Projects

Background: Early mobilization of critically ill patients is recommended in clinical practice guidelines to mitigate ICU-acquired weakness, delirium, and improve recovery. This intervention is inconsistently implemented in many health systems due to a variety of barriers. One frequent barrier is uncertainty regarding whether patients meet safety criteria for mobilization. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a nurse-driven early-mobility algorithm with a clinical safety screen in an adult medical-surgical ICU and evaluate its impact on patient mobility scores, delirium rates, and ICU length of stay.​ Methods: The intervention was evaluated using a quasi-experimental before and after …

Impact Of Food Insecurity On The Management Of Children With Food Allergy: A Scoping Review, Kiranjit Atwal, Kate Maslin

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Child health and development are affected by food insecurity, which is an increasing phenomenon globally. The rates of food allergy are also increasing, and the multifaceted burden is well documented. The higher costs of allergen-free food, essential to food allergy management, may compound the levels of food insecurity, but evidence is still emerging. This scoping review was conducted with the aim to understand the impact of food insecurity on the management of children living with food allergy by mapping the current types of evidence, key concepts, and research gaps. Following JBI methodology, evidence about children aged ≤18 years living in …

Demystifying Longitudinal Melanonychia: Low-Cost 3d-Printed Nail Models For Patient Education, Nuran C. Golbasi, Zachary J.K. Neubauer, Nataliedeana Badillo, Shari R. Lipner

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

No abstract provided.

Legal Academia And Permanent Democracy: The Fault In Our Law Schools, Sara Dillon

DePaul Journal for Social Justice

It is widely recognized that the American Constitution is failing as the foundational document of a modern democracy. Although many basic principles of constitutionalism have faded into irrelevance, with rising authoritarianism eclipsing such core ideals as judicial independence, separation of powers and restraints on arbitrary use of power, America’s nearly 200 institutions of legal teaching and scholarship have provided little in the way of proposals for urgently needed law reform. It is striking that even with so many high-powered academic institutions, so few meaningful proposals for constitutional change have been presented to the public as a way out of our …

Old World Ranks On A New Frontier: Noncommissioned Officer Command In The United States Military, Robert K. Whillock

History Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the development of the United States Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Corps and the regulatory limits placed on its authority. The early American military adopted European traditions that reserved command for commissioned officers and confined NCOs to supervisory and disciplinary roles. Regulations reinforced this hierarchy by preventing NCOs from exercising autonomous command and limiting opportunities for advancement into the officer corps through merit. Over time, however, egalitarian reformers began to question whether these rigid distinctions served the needs of the evolving American military.

The paper argues that foreign military examples and operational necessity gradually challenged the established roles of …

Acute And Chronic Oral Administration Of Cannabidiol-Dominant Cannabis Products: Sex- And Formulation-Dependent Effects On Anxiety-Like Behavioral Patterns In Rats, Carlos R. Maestas-Olguin

Psychology ETDs

Interest in the anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid found within the genus, Cannabis, has grown significantly in recent years. However, preclinical investigations of CBD’s anxiolytic potential often elect to forgo translationally relevant models that maximize external validity in favor of greater internal and mechanistic validity. As a result, the effects of relatively low dose (< 3mg/kg) oral CBD administration on anxiety-like behaviors are not yet fully characterized. The present studies examined the impact of two orally delivered CBD-dominant cannabis products – a “full-spectrum” formulation derived from the whole plant and a CBD isolate derived from the same chemovar – on innate defensive behaviors exhibited by adult male and female rats in various tests of anxiety. Results indicated that acute and chronic low dose oral CBD administration attenuated anxiety-like behavior in rats, regardless of sex or formulation. These findings extend the growing corpus of literature describing anxiolytic-like effects of CBD.

The Environmental Cost Of Artificial Intelligence, Ava G. O'Connor

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the increasingly innovative and evolving world of artificial intelligence. As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated within global economies and infrastructures, its  environmental and economic impact has grown significantly, but still remains understudied in the conversation surrounding societal advancement and growth. This thesis delves into the history and development of artificial intelligence, AI's integration into modern life, Big Tech jumping to get ahead of AI development through investment, the cost of artificial intelligence, and the ethical and environmental implications of increasing artificial intelligence usage. Using multiple case studies, this thesis deeply explores the emergence of artificial intelligence as …

Examining Associations Between Socioecological Factors And Addiction Cycle Domains In Separate Community And Treatment- Seeking Samples, Kara Link

Psychology ETDs

The Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) is a multimodal clinical assessment framework designed to capture the heterogeneity of addictive disorders and inform personalized treatment. The ANA is grounded in three neurofunctional domains aligned with the Koob and LeMoal addiction cycle stages: incentive salience (IS; binge/intoxication), negative emotionality (NE; withdrawal/negative affect), and executive function (EF; preoccupation/anticipation). In addition to these primary domains, the ANA also proposes ancillary assessment domains thought to be related to these neurofunctional domains. However, the ANA developers do not provide a rationale for including these ancillary measures in the framework nor hypothesize about their relevance to the ANA …

A Characterization Of Fat Acceptance Across Identities In A College Sample, Brynn Liabraaten

Psychology ETDs

Weight stigma is a class of discrimination in which those who are of higher weight face biases and discrimination. This can lead to worse outcomes ranging from poor mental health to societal barriers. Fat acceptance is the idea that all people, regardless of weight, deserve respect and equal treatment. The study of fat acceptance is in its infancy in the field of psychology, and there is little research addressing what kinds of people may be more or less fat accepting. The present study utilized a college sample to create a characterization of which intersecting identities and characteristics may correlate with …

Predictors Of Opposite-Sex Antipathy, Mikayla R. Poe

Psychology ETDs

Evolutionary pressures have shaped men’s and women’s motivations to cooperate and compete with one another. Sexual conflict is generated in natural conditions but may be exacerbated by features of the modern world. The current study recruited participants from Prolific to respond to a Qualtrics survey (n = 812) to investigate the correlates of opposite-sex distrust/antipathy using the newly developed Opposite Sex Antipathy (OSA) scale, which is the first of its kind to allow cross-sex comparisons. Men and women’s antipathy for each other was predicted by perceptions that the opposite sex was of lower value to society, more harmful experiences …

Through A Pueblo Lens: Sovereignty, Ethics, And Research In Tribal Communities, Elaine Suazo-Miller

Public Administration ETDs

This thesis explores the intersection of tribal sovereignty, ethical research conduct, and data ownership through an auto-ethnographic examination of my experience seeking research approval with the Pueblo of Santa Clara Tribal Council. Using the Pueblo’s protocols and decision-making processes as a lens, the study highlights how sovereignty is practiced in daily governance and how it shapes relationships between Indigenous communities and academic institutions. Three themes frame the analysis: (1) tribal sovereignty and building trust, (2) ethical research conduct and navigating the research process, and (3) data ownership, sensitivity, and sharing results. Each theme connects personal experience to key literature in …

Dental Hygienists' Views On Salivary Diagnostics, Julie Justice

Dental Hygiene ETDs

This study assessed dental hygienists’ views on salivary diagnostic testing in the United States, including awareness, utilization, perceived barriers, and whether years of experience, clinical setting, or education level influenced these views. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to collect data via an 18-item email survey distributed through the American Dental Hygienists’ Association’s mailing list. Eligible participants were licensed dental hygienists currently practicing in the United States. The survey included demographic items and Likert-scale questions on knowledge, clinical use, perceived value, and limitations of salivary diagnostic testing. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency distributions and Spearman correlations. Despite …

Tiktok And The Brain: Neuropsychological Correlates Of Short-Form Video Consumption, Caty Enders

Psychology ETDs

Short-form video platforms like TikTok have quickly become the fastest growing segment of social media, thanks to powerful algorithms serving up personalized content driven by large quantities of user data. This study investigates the neuropsychological correlates of digital media use, with a particular focus on TikTok and smartphone screen time among young adults. Combining correlational analyses and an experimental design (n = 49; n = 44 included in final sample), we examined the relationship between digital media use and cognitive and emotional functioning across multiple domains. Objective measures of digital media consumption (daily average screen time and time on TikTok) …

Identity, Sexuality, And Gender: Perspectives From Self-Identified Sexually Fluid People, Mattilyn Wiseman

Psychology ETDs

Research on sexual fluidity has relied on categorical, gender-based measurement frameworks that prioritize quantifying change over exploring the lived experience of sexually fluid people. This study employed Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to qualitatively and ideographically explore how self-identified sexually fluid people made sense of their own sexual identity, gender (more broadly), and attraction as it relates or does not relate to gender. Three participants completed structured interviews with open-ended questions. Participants unanimously made sense of identity as a self-constructed journey and tied to their social realities. Participants’ lived experiences of their own gender identities informed their sense-making of gender more …

Empowering Audio Recording: Academic Supporting Views, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

This paper aims to demonstrate, drawing on findings from cognitive science, educational psychology, and creativity research, the proposition that incorporating voice recording into daily intellectual production activities can substantially enhance individual intellectual productivity.

One of the greatest challenges facing contemporary knowledge workers and learners is the asymmetry between the difficulty of securing uninterrupted time for thinking, on the one hand, and the latent abundance of fragmented “half-released” time in daily life—during commutes, household chores, exercise, waiting, and the like—on the other. This study proposes a methodology for resolving this asymmetry through recording technology.

As the conceptual framework of the paper, …

The Concept 'Pollination' And Bee Pan-Trap Color And Uv Reflectance Determine The Taxonomic Compositions Of Bee Taxa Captures Across An Elevation Gradient And Seasons In The Jemez Mountains Of New Mexico, Esther A. Burton, Kelly B. Miller, Paul J. Watson, David C. Witherington, Steven Poe, David Lightfoot

Biology ETDs

This thesis examines the pollinator concept and tests how sampling methods shape bee communities. Chapter 1 provides a conceptual and philosophical analysis, arguing that pollination is a process and that pollinators are context-dependent functional roles rather than fixed taxonomic categories. It traces the concept’s development from natural history to ecological theory, introduces a dual-goal model separating plant reproduction from visitor foraging, and proposes a classification framework based on evidentiary certainty and pollination potential to resolve ambiguity in pollination research.

Chapter 2 applies these ideas empirically by evaluating how pan-trap color and ultraviolet (UV) reflectance influence bee assemblages across elevation and …

From Cranes To Clinics: Genomic Epidemiology At The Human-Animal Interface, Sarah Shrum

Biology ETDs

Emerging infectious diseases represent a significant, increasing threat to human life, economic stability, and global security. The One Health framework, which promotes human health and wellness through the understanding that animal, environmental, and human health are interwoven, is critical to understanding pathogen emergence and transmission. This is underscored by the fact that roughly 60% of all human pathogens and 75% of emerging infectious disease are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans.

The work presented in this dissertation integrates genomic epidemiology, ecological analysis, and One Health Surveillance approaches to characterize cross-species circulation of opportunistic yeast pathogens (Candida …

Rural Minds In Modern Politics: Kinship Networks And Voting Patterns: A Comparative Analysis Of Appalachia And Rural Spain, 1986–2024, Alyce Sarah Blow

Senior Theses

This paper examines how rural identity, kinship networks, and community relationships shape voting behavior through a comparative analysis of rural regions in the United States and Spain. With a base structure on sociological and political research on rural development and the rural–urban political divide, this study explores how social trust, family reputation, and community ties influence electoral support in rural communities. Using electoral data from national archives and the Global Elections Database, the analysis focuses on voting patterns from 1986 to 2024 in two rural U.S. congressional districts, West Virginia’s 2nd and Pennsylvania’s 9th, and two rural regions in Spain: …

Migrant Mobility Across Necropolitical Territories Of Violence: Los Zetas/Cartel Del Noreste, Alondra Danixa Gonzalez

Senior Theses

This thesis examines migrant mobility across northeastern Mexico as a process shaped by organized crime and necropolitical violence, with a focus on the evolution of Los Zetas and their successor, Cartel del Noreste [CDN]. Based on Achille Mbembe's concept of necropolitics, along with Sayak Valencia's theory of gore capitalism and Melissa W. Wright's notion of disposable bodies, this paper identifies cartel-controlled border regions as necropolitical spaces where migrants are exposed to death and exploitation. Using a qualitative, testimony-based methodology, this paper incorporates three first-person family narratives of border crossing alongside documented cases of mass violence in Tamaulipas and Coahuila, including …

Kenyan Foreign Policy In The Multipolar World, Maryclaire Mcadams

Senior Theses

In April 2025, in a speech to university students in Beijing, China, Kenyan President William Ruto announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, Kenya and China are not merely trade partners. We are co-architects of a new world order.” The speech was a bold departure from Ruto’s announcement just a year earlier that Kenya would officially achieve Major Non-NATO Ally status with the United States. The stark contrast in public statements from Kenya’s president within just a few months signals a shift in the international order. A system that once compelled states like Kenya to bandwagon with the United States now allows them …

Rewriting The Podium: An Evaluation Of The Court Of Arbitration For Sport’S Efficacy Through Olympic Medal Disputes, Sarah E. Smith

Senior Theses

International sport holds unique power and opportunity to unite the global population around a common entity. Large-scale international sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup maintain influence and importance across cultures and societies, and offer the world the opportunity to celebrate the tenacity, hard work and willpower of their fellow citizens. At the same time, they also provide the space for all of the world’s nations to engage with one another peacefully and constructively to build relations that extend far beyond the boundaries of a single competition. Therefore, an area of society which holds such clear …

Evangelical Influences On The Prevalence Of Homophobia In 21st Century Brazilian Politics, Griffin M. Bilello

Senior Theses

In recent decades, Brazil has seen a large influx of Evangelical identification among its population, and this religious group has become a prominent political group that has occupied different positions of power in government. This Evangelical prominence has led to the blocking of LGBTQ+ legislative protections, the protection of homophobic governmental policies, and the perpetuation of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric that has threatened the well-being of Brazil’s queer community. This thesis analyzes the social media presence of prominent political figures in Brazil to understand the ongoing discourse regarding homosexuality from different perspectives. Three representatives with varying influences and perspectives were chosen and …

A Study Of Lifestyle Migration In Buenos, Aires Argentina, Sofia Inés Repetto

Senior Theses

Migration is a worldwide phenomenon driven largely by economic, political and social factors. A migrant’s personal aspirations and capabilities play a large role on his/her decision to migration. In my thesis, I aimed to find how the aforementioned fit into lifestyle migration, particularly in lifestyle migration to Argentina. In order to do this, I compared current lifestyle migration to Buenos Aires to the waves of immigration that the nation received during the Age of Mass Migration and in the post-World War II era. I also compared lifestyle migration to the immigration from other Global South nations to Argentina. In this …

From Body Positivity To Body Power: How Music Therapy And Body Liberation Intersect To Address Body Oppression In The Therapeutic Space–A Literature Review, Katherine M. Perkoski

Expressive Therapies Theses

With the rise of overt fascism, anti–fat bias, anti–intellectualism, anti–multiculturalism, anti–diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the persistence of white, capitalist, cisheteropatriarchy narratives around bodies, music therapists need to recognize how client and therapist bodies show up in practice. In this critical literature review, bodies will be sociopolitically and culturally contextualized, and the intersections of music therapy, body liberation, and body power will be discussed. Music therapists need to address the body oppression faced by sociopolitical identities such as race, gender, disability, age, body size, sexuality, neurodiversity, class, ethnicity, nationality, housing status, and immigration status. The music therapy field needs to …

Thoughts From The Pit: Can Raving Change The World? A Literature Review Exploring Rave Culture As Expressive Arts Healing, Marissa Rose Renella

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review examines the structural and philosophical commonalities between expressive arts therapy (EXA) and rave culture. Drawing on scholarship from anthropology, cultural studies, health sciences, transpersonal psychology, neuroscience, and expressive arts therapy, this review identifies five core principles shared between the two fields: transformational experiences, multimodality, entrainment and flow, containment and ritual, and community and social action values. Across each principle, the literature reveals not surface-level similarity but deep convergence — two fields that have, independently and through different lineages, arrived at the same understanding of what human beings need in order to heal, grow, and connect. To the …

But Did You Die? An Exploration Of How Humor Can Influence Grief And The Grieving Process: A Literature Review, Sophia Manzi

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review examines the power of humor as a defense mechanism amidst death loss grief. The intersection of grief, humor, and expressive arts therapy is under-researched, despite the natural overlap. This work connects concepts of humor with core principles of expressive arts therapy and highlights areas for further research. It contextualizes grief within common Western world frameworks such as the five stages of grief, the dual processing model, and defense mechanisms. Humor presents a nuanced coping skill that has many functions within grief. It can be contradictory in nature, as it can be utilized to resist and combat feelings …

How Can Dramatic Play Address Masking In Autistic Adolescents?: A Literature Review, Victoria Sebastian

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review investigated the current research available on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adolescents aged 13-18, and the prevalence of masking within this population. It examines the impact current interventions and social standards have on the stigma that leads to masking behaviors, and the significant effects this has on adolescents' mental health. This study uses an integrative review, as described by Torraco (2016), to draw on empirical studies, systematic reviews, and theoretical frameworks. Connecting the growing research in the dramatic play- one of the drama therapy core processes- with the current therapeutic frameworks. From this research, dramatic play was …

All Together Now! Synchrony As A Pathway For Music Therapy To Improve The Social Strengths Of Individuals Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review, Jason Scolnick

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

Music therapy is commonly used to address the social challenges of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as it is widely believed to be helpful. Just as the cause and ontology of ASD are not well understood, the mechanisms underlying its social benefits remain unclear. Developmental Music Therapy theorizes that developing sociability is a matter of expanding consciousness. In this literature review, I examined the plausibility that music therapy uses synchrony (individuals’ behavioral, neural, and/or physiological systems acting together in time) as a pathway that enhances the sociability of autistic people. The literature indicated that a wide variety …

Bridging The Gap - Integrating Dance/Movement Therapy (Dmt) Into Support Frameworks For Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Literature Review, Anjelica R. Espinoza-Flores

Expressive Therapies Theses

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) affects approximately 5% to 6% of school-age children globally. While the primary symptoms involve challenges with motor coordination, the impact often extends to a child’s social and emotional well-being, leading to increased anxiety and social isolation. Current interventions, such as occupational and physical therapy, focus largely on functional skill-building. However, these methods may not fully address the emotional and psychological experiences of the child. This thesis explores how Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) can serve as a vital link between physical rehabilitation and emotional support. By examining research on neurobiology and therapeutic movement, this paper argues that DMT …

Cultivating Compassion To Support Stabilization: A Practice-Based Group Model For An Inpatient Psychiatric Trauma Unit, Sarah E. Condon

Expressive Therapies Theses

In inpatient psychiatric settings, treatment is typically oriented toward short-term stabilization rather than trauma processing. This thesis explores how self-compassion and expressive arts therapy may support stabilization for individuals with complex trauma histories, highlighting the role of self-criticism and shame as key mechanisms underlying trauma-related distress. This thesis presents the development of a multi-group therapy model implemented on a 21-bed inpatient trauma and dissociative disorders unit. The model pairs psychoeducational, compassion-oriented groups, grounded in mindful self-compassion (MSC) and compassion focused therapy (CFT), with subsequent expressive arts therapy (EXAT) groups with the intention of cohesively integrating and deepening these themes through …