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Machine Learning And Formal Methods In Quantum Chemistry: Theory And Application, Ishna Satyarth

Computer Science and Engineering Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the progress in inter-disciplinary application of machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) have truly transformed various fields, from weather forecasting and drug development to medical diagnostics, energy, and sustainability. Computational chemistry uses computational tools to model, predict, analyze, and explain chemical phenomena, while the Quantum chemistry specifically uses techniques based on quantum mechanics (as opposed to classical mechanics or empirical models). Quantum chemistry or Computational chemistry has also observed a momentum in application of ML techniques over the past decade significantly accelerating results and providing valuable insights into vast datasets, often surpassing traditional methods.

This dissertation explores …

Torá: A Description Of A Dormant Chapacuran Language From Legacy Materials, Akasha Synclair

Linguistics ETDs

Torá, an Amazonian language of the Chapacuran family, went dormant as the Torá people survived colonization. Yet, in the early 1920’s, over 600 Torá words, phrases, and sentences were documented. Despite interest by today’s Torá community in language revitalization, no comprehensive analysis of the data has been undertaken. This project used methods of linguistic reconstitution, cross linguistic comparison, and the creation of an open-access database to produce a phonological and morphosyntactic analysis of Torá. Phonological findings of particular interest include evidence for vowel harmony and variable oralization of nasals. In structure, Torá is very similar to related languages, displaying a …

Three Essays In Applied Gender Economics, Ayus Mitra

Economics Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contributes to intersection of applied microeconomics and economics of gender. Each chapter attempts to examine how natural experiments as well as endogenous selection processes impact overall outcomes in gender violence, women empowerment as well as mobility and work decisions. It also highlights the role of gender-specific attitudes and norms in shaping outcomes. The first chapter investigates the relationship between the rise in popularity of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2013 and reported crimes against women in India. The analysis utilizes state-panel data from 2009–2016, employing difference-in-differences and event study estimation strategies. The findings indicate that reported incidents …

Bayesian Spatiotemporal Model For Counterfactual Estimation In Socioeconomic Studies, Duwani W. Gonzalez

Statistical Science Theses and Dissertations

Impact evaluations of regional development programs often require estimating counterfactual outcomes for a small number of treated regions using survey-based areal data. In practice, evaluators typically rely on two-group quasi-experimental methods such as propensity score matching (PSM) and Difference-in-Differences (DiD). These approaches perform poorly when only a few regions receive treatment, and when the set of observed covariates is limited or only partially relevant. Moreover, they typically do not explicitly exploit the spatial and temporal dependence present in survey-based areal data such as in ACS (American Community Survey). This dissertation develops a family of Bayesian spatial predictive models for directly …

Fueling Reactions: Three Empirical Essays On Behavioral Responses, Economic Shocks, And Energy Markets, Euclides Coelho De Medeiros Correia

Economics Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how shocks in energy and commodity markets propagate through local economies and reshape human behavior, spanning three empirical essays that connect energy markets to electoral behavior, commodity price dynamics, and criminal violence.

Where Is Home: Finding Belonging In God Through Expressive And Drama Therapy Processes Among Chinese Diaspora International Students, Minmin Pan

Expressive Therapies Theses

Being an international student for 12 years in the United States, this research engages with personal reflection and literature around international student identity formation situated in the current social and political context of increasing visa and employment uncertainty. International students’ ongoing movement across cultural spaces, limited representation of cross-cultural narratives and supportive spaces in academic settings, can contribute to fragmentation in experiences and identity that are shaped by dominant narratives and social positioning, thus further leading to disconnection from self and surroundings.

Relational spirituality literature suggests that one’s relational experience with God can deeply impact their interpretation of experiences, social …

Does Adjunctive Low-Level Laser Therapy Provide Additional Benefit Following Temporomandibular Joint Arthrocentesis With Hyaluronic Acid? A Randomized Clinical Trial, Moataz Bahaa, Abdelrahman Fahmy Dr., Hesham Morsi, Mahmoud Elfaramawy

Dentistry

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate whether adjunctive low-level laser therapy (LLLT) provides additional clinical benefit over an optimized arthrocentesis protocol with hyaluronic acid in patients with ADDwoR. Materials and methods From December 2022 to December 2023, a single-blinded prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted at The British University in Egypt’s Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The study involved 40 female participants diagnosed with Anterior Disc Displacement without Reduction (ADDwoR). Following TMJ arthrocentesis, subjects were assigned to one of two parallel cohorts: Group A received ten subsequent sessions of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), while Group B served as the …

Alumna Hopes To Help Address Shortage Of Health Care Workers, Bill Dabney

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi alumna hopes to ease the path for students pursuing careers in health care.

Postoperative Pain After Dental Procedures: The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Observational Study Using An Mobile Health Platform, Muhammad F Walji, Alfa-Ibrahim Yansane, Sayali Tungare, Rahma Mungia, David Holmes, Kim Funkhouser, Celeste Machen, Janelle Urata, Christoffer Redlund, Gautam Shirodkar, Hans Malmstrom, David H Yu, Oluwabunmi Tokede, D Brad Rindal, Gregg H Gilbert, Heiko Spallek, Joel White, Elsbeth Kalenderian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Managing postoperative dental pain is essential, but patient-reported data on pain and medication practices are scarce. The authors examined patient-reported pain, functional interference, and medication use after common dental procedures.

Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study, 2,674 adults in a multicenter US practice-based network reported pain intensity and interference via a mobile application. Outcomes were collected on days 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 to assess trajectories across endodontics, periodontal surgery, oral surgery, and implant dentistry as well as multiple procedures within these 4 categories.

Results: Among 2,674 participants (mean age, 49.8 years; 55.6% were female), mean (SD) …

The Effect Of Acute Hypoxia Exposure, With Exercise, On Bone Metabolic Biomarkers, Alyssa Bailly

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Hypoxic environments, resulting from decreased atmospheric partial pressure of oxygen, reduce oxygen availability in the blood and tissues, leading to a mismatch between supply and demand. This elicits several physiological adaptations and may influence bone metabolism. Although evidence suggests that hypoxia can modulate bone remodeling through hypoxia-inducible pathways, findings remain mixed, with most data derived from chronic hypoxic exposures in animal and cell culture models. Exercise, an essential stimulus for bone health, may exacerbate hypoxic stress; however, the skeletal response to acute hypoxic exposure combined with exercise remains unclear. We propose that intermittent exercise in hypoxia may increase negative markers …

Benefits Of Advisory & Culturally Responsive Advisory Framework (Craf) Within A Southwestern, Urban, Dual Language Middle School, Mariana Anguelova Castañon

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

In this research report, I examine the benefits of a daily Advisory period at a southwestern, urban, dual-language middle school and explore the impact of the Culturally Responsive Advisory Framework (CRAF), a curriculum I developed as a researcher-practitioner. This work is situated within research on Advisory programs, urban schooling, and dual-language education, while addressing implementation challenges. Grounded in democratic learning theory, CRAF integrates social-emotional learning (SEL), social-cultural learning (SCL), and literacy. To evaluate its impact, I collected qualitative data through anonymous Google Surveys and semi-structured student interviews, supported by quantitative teacher and student surveys. Data were analyzed using open and …

Efficacy And Equity In Type 2 Diabetes Care: Comparing Glp-1 Therapy And Dietary Interventions Through Clinical, Social, And Ethical Lenses, Makayla Bogle

Honors Projects

Objective: Explores the clinical and sociocultural dimensions regarding type 2 diabetes (T2DM) care, comparing GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy and dietary interventions for adults with T2DM. Part I consists of a narrative literature review examining clinical outcomes such as glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, and weight management for the two compared treatment methods. Part II conducts a narrative literature review examining the structural and social determinants that influence access to diabetes treatments. The review evaluates how social determinants of health (SDOH) shape the real-world implementation of both GLP-1 RA therapies and dietary interventions. The discussion highlights differences in measurable clinical …

Fluid Identities: Using Seattle's Diverse Water Narratives To Shape Cultural Values And Adaptive Conservation Strategies, Brooke J. Vanden Berg

Honors Projects

This paper explores human interactions with the environment in and around Seattle, Washington, following its trajectory from the Vashon glacial episode to its present standing as a city on the frontier of future urban climate resilience. By examining the shift from indigenous stewardship to a twentieth-century settler-led industrial “taming” paradigm, ecological vulnerabilities are considered through the lens of ill-advised hydraulic regrading and the centralization and privatization of water infrastructure and rights. This history is contextualized in the 21st century as climate projections indicate that Seattle's reliance on mountain snowpack, increasing thermal extremes, sea-level rise, and hydraulic instability caused by climate …

Undergraduate Commencement Exercises Program, May 16, 2026

Bryant University Commencements

No abstract provided.

Improving Health Literacy And Self-Management In Adults With Heart Failure: A Nurse-Led Virtual Intervention In Outpatient Support Groups, Vivian Efosa Osunde

Doctoral Projects

Heart failure is a leading cause of morbidity and hospital readmissions, with limited health literacy contributing to poor self‑management and adherence challenges. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a nurse‑led, virtual education-intervention designed to improve health literacy, self‑care behaviors, and medication adherence among adults with chronic heart failure who participate in an outpatient support group. A quality improvement design was used. Convenience sampling yielded nine adult participants with a documented diagnosis of chronic heart failure who attended at least one virtual support group session. The intervention consisted of …

Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (Hie): Outcomes Of Therapeutic Hypothermia, Gospodin Stefanov

Advocate GME

No abstract provided.

Whiny Women: How Medical Gaslighting Becomes Medical Trauma, Neena Marcus

Honors Projects

Background: The idea of “medical gaslighting” has been present since 1969, but it has increased in popularity in the recent century. Women in particular are at increased risk of being dismissed by their healthcare providers, as throughout history they have been deemed “hysterical” or untrustworthy when recounting their symptoms.

Methods: Articles were compiled from CINAHL Complete, Google Scholar, and the University of Washington library. A total of 33 articles were chosen and reviewed.

Results: Medical gaslighting results in lasting medical trauma, a decreased quality of life and detachment from standard healthcare. Six themes were recurrent in the papers utilized: sexism, …

Musical Methods For Nonverbal Emotional Expression, Carrie Uddenberg

Music: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Shelter From The Storm: Public Library Value And Community Adaptive Capacities, Margo Gustina

Economics ETDs

This dissertation contributes to theoretical framing within the discipline of library science, while building out empirical methods for quantitatively valuing broadly loved public libraries. Chapter 1 lays the foundation for understanding how analysis public libraries must always be set within regional contexts. Chapter 2 demonstrates that positive voter valuation of public libraries is driven by proximity to a library building by using data from public funding referendum events. Chapter 3 estimates a reduction of 0.75 percentage point (p=0.002) in graduation rates where public libraries were closed (but school instruction was in-person) from COVID closures. Chapter 4 builds on the previous …

Perception, Payment, And Pollution- Examining The Effects Of Air Quality On Health And Healthcare, Colin Sleeper

Economics ETDs

Abstract

This dissertation examines how air quality and public attention to environmental shock affect perceived health status and healthcare utilization. The first chapter uses publicly available survey data from BRFSS and a triple difference framework to analyze the effects of the 2018 wildfire season in Oregon on self-reported mental and physical health. Findings indicate that those in Oregon in 2018, during the period of heightened attention to wildfire smoke, experienced approximately 1.4 additional poor mental health days, on average. The second chapter includes Merative MarketScan commercial insurance claims data to test whether these changes translate into a behavioral response. Results …

Agricultural Water Management, Farmer Decision-Making And Climate Adaptation In Dryland Agriculture: A Case Of The Middle Rio Grande Basin, Oluwatosin A. Olofinsao

Economics ETDs

Agriculture in dryland regions faces mounting pressure from climate change, water scarcity, and shifting land-use demands. The Middle Rio Grande Basin (MRGB) of central New Mexico exemplifies these challenges, where irrigated agriculture relies on increasingly variable surface water supplies. This dissertation examines agricultural water use, farmer decision-making, and adaptation strategies across farm types and climate conditions in the MRGB. The first study presents a spatial descriptive analysis of farm size, crop patterns, groundwater access, evapotranspiration (ET), and effective ET, revealing a landscape numerically dominated by smallholder farms that account for a substantial share of irrigation water use. The second study …

The Formation Of Indian Health Services Within Imperial And Settler-Colonial Contexts, Jillian E. Grisel

American Studies ETDs

This dissertation examines the Indian Health Services as a Cold War biosecurity apparatus, showing how infectious disease was weaponized to dismantle treaty obligations, reorganize tribal lands into “service areas,” and reclassify Indigenous nations as surveilled populations. Against this carceral health economy, Indigenous nations refused. From the 1969 Alcatraz occupation to the 1976 Puyallup takeover of Cushman Indian Hospital, Native activists reclaimed health facilities as sovereign spaces, insisting that care is not a discretionary service but a treaty right grounded in land and kinship. Methodologically, I combine historical-legal analysis of congressional debates, Public Health Service reports, and IHS data with counter-archives …

Impact Of Third Trimester Alcohol Exposure (Ttae) On Oligodendrocyte Development And Behavior In Mice, Estrella Villicana

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) during late gestation can cause cognitive, behavioral, and motor impairments associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). The third trimester corresponds to a critical period of brain growth and maturation. This study examined the effects of Third Trimester-equivalent Alcohol Exposure (TTAE) on oligodendrocyte development and adult behavior. Neonatal mice were exposed to ethanol or air vapor from postnatal day (P) 4–8. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed at P8 and P30 to assess myelination, apoptosis, and oligodendrocyte lineage progression. TTAE significantly reduced myelin basic protein (MBP) expression at P8, which was recovered by P30, indicating delayed developmental myelination. …

Design And Optimization Of Epitope Based Malaria Vaccine Targeting Pre-Erythrocytic Stage, Yogesh Nepal

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Malaria remains a major global health challenge. Currently available vaccines provide only modest and transient protection. In this work, we developed virus like particles (VLPs) based vaccine to target vulnerable epitopes of circumsporozoite protein, a key surface protein of pre-erythrocytic sporozoite stage, across different structural contexts. The immunogenicity of these highly immunogenic vaccines were further enhanced using immune stimulating agents, adjuvants, and the most promising VLP and adjuvant combinations were evaluated in preclinical challenge models to assess efficacy. In parallel, we performed research in an antigen agonistic manner using VLP library immunization that displays different fragments of a target protein …

Exploring Color-Blind Racial Attitudes And Critical Race Theory - Informed Beliefs Among School Social Workers, Faith E. King

Social Work Doctoral Dissertations

Black Americans face unequal rates of psychological distress and misdiagnosis primarily due to systemic racism embedded in institutions. Despite these alarming realities, current mental health frameworks often cling to biased perceptions of wellness facilitated by White, Eurocentric norms that pathologize communal resilience and cultural expressions of healing. In clinical spaces, these realities are too often erased by the biased meanings and individualistic norms that render Black grief pathological and Black resistance dysfunctional. Dominant therapeutic modalities labeled “evidence-based” remain rooted in racially neutral, individualist assumptions that exclude the lived experiences of Black clients, as they were developed for them. The National …

Spring Undergraduate Commencement: May 16, 2026, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Spring Undergraduate Commencement program from May 16, 2026.

Spring Graduate School Commencement: May 16, 2026, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Spring Graduate School Commencement program from May 16, 2026.

Moving As Mycelium: Dance/Movement Therapy With Nature And Its Potential For Sustainability Transformations: A Literature Review, Abby Polk

Expressive Therapies Theses

Environmental degradation and destruction impact the long-term health and wellbeing of humans and ecosystems alike. Humans require new ways of relating to nature that support sustainable futures for all. This thesis argues that dance/movement therapy (DMT) with nature has the potential to facilitate sustainability transformations and that the embodiment of relationality can support the development of reciprocal human-nature relationships. This literature review is grounded in theories of relationality and reciprocity as conceptualized in various Indigenous knowledge systems and the fields of both sustainability and DMT. Existing research suggests that culturally-responsive, embodied, arts-based practices may increase human-nature connectedness and strengthen reciprocity …

Assessing Uranyl-Specific Dnazymes And Dna-Aptamers For Uranium Binding In Environmentally Relevant Waters, Ashley R. Apodaca-Sparks

Civil Engineering ETDs

The legacy of uranium mining affects many communities in the western United States, resulting in elevated levels of uranium in surface water. The ability to quickly and accurately detect uranium on site in affected communities can lead to real-time water quality analysis that informs risk assessment and remediation efforts. The objective of this work is to advance the application of biosensing technologies for the measurement of uranium in waters affected by mining legacy. The third chapter of this thesis compares ANDalyze by AlpHa Instruments, a commercially available uranium biosensor, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (an EPA-verified method for uranium …

Unpacking The Roots Of School Vouchers: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Its Origins And The Arizona Model, Swechha Singh

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Critical Race Theory (CRT) gained prominence in mainstream political discourse following President Trump issuance of Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping, which intensified political debate surrounding CRT, diversity initiatives, and educational curricula. This study used Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis to examine how ideological forces gave rise to the enactment of school vouchers. Using CRT as a theoretical lens, the study examined historical and contemporary data to explore how ideology functioned to advance an expansive education policy agenda, including Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program. This study offers evidence of the impact of the anti-CRT movement, as well as sustained …